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One day at a time: Paes |
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By: ASHWIN FERRO |
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Date:
2008-08-14 |
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Place: BEIJING |
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Paes and Bhupathi during their match yesterday.
Pic/AP | LEANDER Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi are not the ideal role models for friendship. Nor are they the best example of a harmonious partnership. Though they share a tumultuous off-court relationship, on-court Lee-Hesh is all about good, clean and above all professional tennis. And neither has a problem with each other as long as they are winning.
That's the story so far at the Olympic Green Tennis Centre here, where the seventh seeded Indian Express stormed into the quarter-final of the Olympic doubles competition with a 6-4, 6-2 win over the Brazilian pair of Marcelo Mela and Andre Sa in just over an hour.
Steam-rolled
It was their second match on the very same Court No 7, where a little over 12 hours ago, they had steam-rolled over the French pairing of Gael Monfils and Simon Gilles 6-3, 6-3. Yesterday though, they had to sweat a bit in the first set, though, as the comparatively taller men from Sambaland enjoyed a better reach. But Paes with his shrewd ball play and Bhupathi with his reach, countered it well.
Some superb volleying from Paes left the Brazilians stranded in no man's land. The Indian broke in Game Three, after which either party held to finish the set 6-4 in Lee-Hesh's favour. By the time the second set kicked in, India's Davis Cup heroes had their opponents figured out, easily breaking them in the first game and then the seventh for a 6-2 wrap-up of the set and with it the match.
Next up, is a reputable Swiss pairing comprising World No 1 Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka, seeded fourth here. Lee-Hesh encountered Federer in the second round at Athens too and emerged straight set victors. Here too, given that the star player's main focus is the singles gold, he won't go all out in the doubles, which means the Indian duo should make it to the last four at least.
From then on, it's just one good match before the former World No 1s can listen to the Indian national anthem atop the podium for the first time together. Paes though refuses to think that far. "Everyday it's a new opponent. And that's a new challenge, given that we don't play together on the tour. So, for us, here it's one day at a time," he said.
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