Doubles hopes

When an event becomes an Olympics medal hope,theres always professional excitement,a readjustment of strategy. As tennis mixed doubles returns to London 2012,almost a century after it was left out of the Games,the feeling is likely to get heaped on in India,which hasnt been a top contender at the biggest sporting arena but still considers itself rather tennis-lucky. Especially when it comes to doubles and mixed doubles. While the mixed doubles berth has opened up the playing field for India and one more peg to hang its medal dreams,the big question remains if one half of the court is occupied by the countrys top woman player,Sania Mirza,who will occupy the other half?

There are probables Leander Paes,Mahesh Bhupathi,Rohan Bopanna,Somdev Devvarman but no definite answer. Theres a reason for that uncertainty. Unlike swimmers,who prepare to peak in time for the quadrennial,tennis players dont look to the Games as the apogee of their sporting achievement. For that,they have the Slams. Yet,India could do well to think of and start a discussion on partners for the grass courts of Wimbledon where the matches will be played. For,the Games is no longer sidestepped by the top tennis players. In fact,this is one place where the games biggest stars come out to play doubles as well. Last year,mens doubles,for instance,was won by Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka.

The IOCs periodic reordering of the Games programme track cycling competition omnium along with mixed doubles in 2012,and golf and rugby sevens in Rio 2016 is meant to popularise the sports as well as to increase gender equality and youth appeal at the Games. Mixed doubles certainly lends itself to that philosophy,as men

and women compete together on the same field. For a medal there,India can do with some more earnest planning.