Bhupathi, Bopanna barred

Indian tennis chiefs have barred veterans Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna from playing in the Davis Cup until June 2014 after they refused to partner doubles specialist Leander Paes at the Olympics. Bhupathi, who at 38 may have played his last Davis Cup match, tweeted in response: “The cranky old grand fathers on the executive committee, who have never played tennis waiting for a reaction? There is one coming. stay tuned!” He and Bopanna, 32, cited personal and professional reasons for not wanting to link up with Paes at the London games. Paes and Bhupathi formed a long-standing and highly successful team for years, winning Grand Slam doubles titles at the French Open in 1999 and 2001, and Wimbledon in 1999. The selectors last month axed Bhupathi and Bopanna for the ongoing Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group I tie against New Zealand in Chandigarh and named a new-look team comprising Yuki Bhambri, Vishnu Vardhan and Divij Sharan. The new team beat New Zealand 5-0 in Chandigarh on Sunday. The All India Tennis Association (AITA) decided at its executive committee meeting to continue with the young team in its Davis Cup matches, AITA secretary-general Bharat Oza said in a statement late Saturday. “It is further decided not to consider Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna for selection to play for India till June 30, 2014,” he said. The controversy over the Olympics team selection started after the AITA had initially named Bhupathi and Paes for the doubles, even though Bhupathi wanted to play with his current partner Bopanna. The AITA were later forced to pick two doubles teams for the Olympics, with Paes pairing with lower-ranked Vardhan, and Bhupathi partnering Bopanna. Both pairs were knocked out in the early rounds at the Olympics. Meanwhile India won the last two dead rubbers against New Zealand in Chandigarh on Sunday to win the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I first round play-off 5-0. Yuki Bhambri and Sanam Singh won their respective reverse singles after India had already avoided relegation into Group II Saturday by taking an unassailable 3-0 lead. Delhi’s Bhambri, who had won the first match against Daniel King-Turner Friday, was taken the distance by World No.317 Jose Statham in the fourth match of the contest which the Indian won 2-6, 7-5, 7-6(5). New Zealand now have to play Chinese Taipei in a second round play-off in October to avoid relegation to Group II. From gulftoday