Saturday, May 25th 03:56 PM IST

Olympics: Tough opener for Paes-Sania, draw Zimonjic-Ivanovic

Aug 1, 2012

London: India’s Leander Paes and Sania Mirza were yesterday drawn against the Serbian team of Nenad Zimonjic and Ana Ivanovic in the first round of the mixed doubles tennis competition at the London Olympics.

The Indian team will have their task cut out when they take on Ivanovic, former women’s singles World No 1 and Zimonjic, who has won four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles and three men’s doubles titles. Zimonjic is also a former doubles partner of Paes.

Paes and Sania will face the tricky Serbian team of Nenad Zimonjic and Ana Ivanovic in the first round of the mixed doubles. AFP

Sania, who has been more prolific with Mahesh Bhupathi winning the 2009 Australian and 2012 French Open titles, was paired with Paes after much controversy in the Indian tennis circuit.

Paes has also paired up with young Vishnu Vardhan in the men’s doubles but their match against Frenchmen Michael Llodra and Jo Wilfried Tsonga in the second round was postponed.

Sania and her partner Rushmi Chakravarthi have been knocked of the women’s doubles in the first round.

IANS

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