Bopanna revels in lead role It’s not Bhupathi but his partner who controls the game as India earn a hard-fought win

Bopanna revels in lead role

It’s not Bhupathi but his partner who controls the game as India earn a hard-fought win

Just a month back, Indian tennis was mired in selection row and egos that swelled larger than rackets. Sportsmen, nonetheless, undergo a remarkable metamorphosis once they step on to the field. Ask Rohan Bopanna and Mahesh Bhupathi what it means. They kicked off their Olympic campaign in style with a hard-fought 7-6(4) 6-7 (4) 8-6 win over the Belarusian pair of Alexander Bury and Max Mirnyi. The two-hour long match narrated a compelling story of single-minded focus and bonding. The match, played on Court No 19, had another sub-text. Until now, the more experienced Bhupathi would take charge. One witnessed a role reversal on Monday. Bhupathi was sluggish and chose to cut down risks. Instead, it was Bopanna who took control with his sharp serves and hard-hitting baseline game. Was Bhupathi feeling the pressure, or is it an indication of changing times? Maybe, the 38-year-old’s younger partner is ready to take the lead. Bodes well for India in the ties ahead. India wrapped up the match after getting a service break, the first after a gruelling two hours, twenty-two minutes. Then followed the familiar scenes of chest butting. Haven’t we seen it before from a certain friends turned foes? Bopanna said, “It was obviously tough in this format to get a break against two big servers. It was a matter of one or two mistakes. One bad line call in the second set tie-breaker, which was terrible, made a great deal of difference to us. I know it was a tight situation for the chair umpire, and he too was feeling the pressure.” Did the verbal warfare with Leander Paes and the unsavoury build-up to the Olympics affect them? “We have moved on and are taking one match at a time,” Bopanna said. “We’re happy that we had plenty of practice in the last week.” Bopanna realises perhaps that this is his last Olympics. Clearing the first-round hurdle should make him relaxed and strengthen his resolve even more for a medal.