'Inspirational' Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis will win many more Grand Slam titles: Mahesh Bhupathi

Mumbai: India have a good chance to win medals in both men’s doubles and mixed doubles events in next year’s Rio Olympics, feels former tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi. “Men’s doubles and mixed doubles - in both we have a good chance (of winning medals). Rohan (Bopanna) and Leander (Paes) are both world-class players (who will be the men’s doubles partners), so why not,” said Bhupathi on Tuesday. [caption id=“attachment_2432856” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis enjoyed a phenomenal year. AP[/caption] The former doubles star, who forged a great combination with Paes to win many Grand Slams, was reacting to a query whether he shared the views of another ex-Davis Cup star, Ramesh Krishnan, that India’e best chances of a medal was in the mixed doubles in which Paes is expected to partner Sania Mirza, the world’s top woman doubles player. Bhupathi, the founder-cum-Managing Director of the International Premier Tennis League, praised Sania’s stupendous display in women’s doubles partnering Swiss ace Martina Hingis and said the duo complemented each other to perfection. “Inspirational, if I have to say one word (about Saina’s performance). She has really worked hard over the last three years, not only this year, putting herself in positions to win finals of Grand Slams.” “All the hard work needed someone to complement her perfectly and Martina and she complement each other perfectly. I think they are going to win many Grand Slams over the next two years,” the 41-year-old former player added. The unstoppable duo of Mirza and Hingis came up with another stupendous performance recently to win the women’s doubles title at the prestigious $7 million WTA Finals in Singapore. It was the pair’s ninth title together this season, having also won in Beijing, Wuhan, Guangzhou, US Open (New York), Wimbledon (London), Charleston, Miami and Indian Wells. Sania also won the Sydney International in January with American Bethanie Mattek-Sands to take her doubles trophy count to 10 this year. Bhupathi sounded upbeat about Indian tennis scene and pointed out Yuki Bhambri’s rise into the top 100 of men’s singles as one of its reasons. He also singled out Wimbledon boys’ doubles champion Sumit Nagal of Haryana and 17-year-old girl Karman Kaur Thandi as the players to watch out for. “Yuki is now 89 in the world, so we have someone who is going to play in the main draw of Grand Slam in men’s singles. Sumit and Karman are both the future of tennis in men and women for us. Sumit Nagal and Karman Kaur Thandi are surely the future of Indian tennis in men’s and women’s. Things are moving well,” he said. [caption id=“attachment_1089469” align=“alignright” width=“380”] Mahesh Bhupathi. PTI[/caption] “It is great to have Nadal on board. We know how big and effective player he has been and is in the court. After the New Delhi crowd witnessed Federer and Novak Djokovic in the inaugural season, this year they will get to see Nadal face-off against Federer,” he said. When asked about the inclusion of young Indian players in the IPTL, Bhupathi said keeping in mind the world wide broadcast and the top class players in the teams, it will be difficult to fit in budding young players. “Somdev Devverman has been kept as an alternate player for the Indian Aces. The quality of tennis has to be maintained as it is broadcasted all over the world. Fitting in young and budding Indian players will be difficult here,” he said. Bhupathi also mentioned that unlike the opening season, this year’s format will have a final which be held in Singapore on December 20. “Last year we had a different format. But this time we will have a final match between the two top teams. All the players love to play this format and I hope it will come out and be successful this time too,” Bhupathi said. Indian Aces co-owner Gulshan Jhurani – who was also present on the occassion – said that to make the league popular throughout the country, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai are the venues which have taken into consideration for hosting the IPTL in the future. “We have got great response from Delhi in inaugural season, But to make IPTL popular in the country we would like to shift it till as many cities as possible. After Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai are the chosen venues,” he said. Nadal, Agnieszka Radwanska, Gael Monfils, Sania, Ivan Dodig, Bopanna, Fabrice Santoro are the seven players in the India Aces squad that will take on the other four franchises – Philippine Mavericks, UAE Royals, Singapore Slammers and the newly-joined Japan Warriors. The league will be held from December 2-20 in Kobe, Manila, New Delhi, Dubai and Singapore. PTI and IANS