Sport - Tennis

Bhupathi looks ahead

BANGALORE: Indian ace Mahesh Bhupathi is raring to go. Having returned from Australia after surgery on his back, Bhupathi has been having practice sessions with other Indian stars — Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna. Bhupathi has invited the two Indian players along with the Pakistani Davis Cupper Aisam Qureshi to the Tennis Village here to prepare for the new season ahead.

“I thought about this camp for a while. In the past, we had been practising in different places before the season and I thought it would be a great idea if we all train together and I am glad it took off so well,” said Bhupathi on the sidelines of the practice session.

Turning to his fitness, Bhupathi said, “I have never been pushing so hard as I had been doing for the past three weeks and it really hurts as the body had been dormant after the surgery. Yes, I am happy with the way my fitness level is picking up and I have three more weeks before I get back to the circuit,” said the Indian ace, who holds 10 Grand Slam doubles titles.

Bhupathi would have preferred to play a tournament or two before the Australian Open, but is not sure “whether there would be enough time to do that.”

He put the Beijing Olympics on top of his agenda in 2008. “It is the big one for me,” he added. Bhupathi plans to play the season with Mark Knowles and said his new partner was one of the top doubles players in the world.

“He is No.3 in doubles and long back I had played with him once. We have had a good understanding, and as to how we are going to perform, my guess is as good as yours,” said Bhupathi.

Bhupathi said he would team-up with Sania Mirza for the mixed doubles event in the Australian Open. Scott Davidoff will be Bhupathi’s trainer.

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