It’s Leander Paes against Mahesh Bhupathi in what could be called a virtual semifinal clash of the Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open.
MUMBAI: The worst is over. The chaos, the confusion, the last-minute gaffes that normally come gift-wrapped with any big event. The filtering process is over - the also-rans have been waved goodbye, the delicate have succumbed to the heat, the erratic have been warned to mend their racquets.
It’s now time for the best. And as far as Indian tennis is concerned, there cannot be a better sight than witness two of our best warriors - who once used to conquer the world together - gunning for each other from the opposite sides of the net. It’s ‘Saturday Night Fever’ for real, one that has never been witnessed before on home soil, though both have met each other several times outside the country.
Brace up for the spectacle. It’s Leander Paes against Mahesh Bhupathi — the former has Pakistan’s Aisam Qureshi as his partner, while the latter has Croatia’s Mario Ancic — in what could be called a virtual semifinal clash of the ongoing Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open at the CCI courts here.
The winners go directly to the doubles final, as the semifinal opponents — the German pair of Denis Gremelmayr and Simon Greul — have pulled out due to an injury.
Both camps know what to expect. “They surely are the favourites,” says Paes, “but we are the underdogs. Mahesh and Ancic recently won the title in Beijing in their first outing together. Both are world-class players, so we know we have to try out something special.”
Qureshi adds: “We might be playing only our second match together, but Paes’ experience will come in handy. Our playing styles are same, we’re both serve-and-volley players, we both like to attack. It should be a good clash.”
One thing’s certain, though. There will an Indian on the podium. For, Rohan Bopanna and Mustafa Ghouse meet the duo of James Auckland and Jamie Delgado for a berth in the final.
Ancic is curious to know the affiliation of the crowd. “Yeah, that should be interesting. The crowd have a tough choice,” the world No.11 says. “I am keenly looking forward to the clash.” Now whom are you going to root for?
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