Paes-Bhupathi: For Old Times' Sake

They are back, finally. At a heartening period in Indian tennis as the game gathers momentum on the upswing, the once undisputed champions on the doubles scene have decided to give their egos a rest and patch together yet another eventful journey. Who would have thought that breakfast in Paris would be motivation enough to break the ice?

Doubles tennis is an Euclidean art. The formations are dense with angles, trajectories and axes that captivate and thrill. It is an acquired taste, seldom attracting more than the quintessential tennis lover. It is a cerebral form of play, a process that emphasises the need for synchrony. The great doubles pairings are always remembered, be it Roche-Newcombe, McEnroe-Fleming, Woodforde-Woodbridge or Lee-Hesh, all of whom pushed the sublime form of serve and volley to poetic peaks.

India’s contribution to this vertical in tennis is unquestionable. The power backed singles baseline play of today or the gruelling physical strains of the wooden era caused heartburn in many a Indian tennis fan. Singles is an extinct form in Indian tennis. It was a congenital malady that could only be rectified with an additional input, a cavalry in the form of another individual just to compensate for the deficiency of physical strength. Doubles was and remains perfect for the upkeep of this game in the Sub-continent where gentle ground strokes have always outpaced brawns.

Indians work well in groups, a probable extension of the way we usually function in close knit cliques. The Amritrajs’ are a depiction of the realism of human bonds off court and its reflection on it. Lee-Hesh too had that innate sense of mutual comprehension before they gave all that up. As singles players, they hardly rattled any top ranked player. Together they are a different entity. Paes ofcourse has some stupendous singles victories in the Davis Cup. Who could forget Paes rejoicing over a defeated and miffed Ivanisevic in 1995 at New Delhi playing in front of a boisterous audience? But life demands consistency and this is where the Indian duo score brownie points in doubles and therefore their reunion is celebratory moment.

Their split was an affront to the game’s progress in India, but unfortunately there are no liabilities for bad decisions. Coaxing and cajoling evidently did not work. Doubles cannot be played without the consent of the volleyer and the server, surely not when both seem to be serving to the wrong side of the court while playing as team.

Bhupathi can hold his serve as well as any in the business and Paes needs no course in reflexology at the nets. They belittled sides with unmatched ease and the rare lose slipped past because victory was always around the next bend. Their energy, fusion and poise remain unmatched. Chest pumps replete, their matches together are all out entertainers gripping the sensibility of an amateur watcher. Such was their impact in the years preceding their split.

They have announced their commitment to play at the first Grand Slam of the year in Australia, beyond which their intention to continue the annealed relationship is subject to interest and passive ego hassles.

The upcoming tennis calendar has the potential to provide ‘breaking news’ scrolls of tournament victories on news channels with over-enthusiastic anchors going nasal with joy and occasionally also ultrasonic-sonic, mildly confusing foraging bats.

Couple of months back, Qureshi and Boppana were touted as the future at the Slams for the Sub-continent, but at their advanced age (28 is rather old in tennis) hope and fitness have become telling-factors in their metamorphosis from runners-up to champions. At 35, Lee and Hesh have done it all. They have won Grand Slams, lost a few, slammed doors on each other, been promiscuous with tennis partners, and now have come a full circle for that final ascent to underscore their insurmountable status in doubles.

They are like an aging couple trying to re-kindle their lost passion for each other, attempting to move ahead reminiscing the good times. Peas and Bhupathi are like misplaced halves that have finally managed to off set the pettiness of their immature years. Somewhere they know that their individual style of play improves their combined game. This reconciliation is certainly their swansong.

Their return should pose a severe strain on few of the top ranked pairs, hopefully. Bryans beware.