Can Leander, Mahesh fulfill fans’ dreams?

Sydney: Can Leander Paes turn the clock the back and turn on the magic again? That is a question, which the entire Indian contingent here in Sydney would love an answer for.

Four years ago at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, Leander Paes turned the formbook upside down and made a mockery of the rankings as he soared from his lowly ranking of 125-plus to capture a bronze medal.

It was India's face-saver at Atlanta and the first medal in 16 years since 1980 and the first individual Olympic medal in 44 years since Kashaba Jadhav brought a bronze from Helsinki in 1952.

On Tuesday, Leander begins his march at the third Olympics with a singles clash against Swede Mikael Tillstorm, who himself is on a slide. But Leander is ranked 113, and Tillstorm 61. But then did not Leander make a seedings committee look silly four years back?

And of course then there is the doubles, where a medal is quite possible, even though he and Mahesh Bhupathi spent nine months in the wilderness, away from each other and sorting out problems, which really need not have been there in the first place.

In the four years since Atlanta, Leander's fortunes have risen and fallen. Risen as he and his partner Mahesh Bhupathi became the World's No. 1 pair and they set the courts alight with their magic on the Tour in 1999.

In the three seasons from 1997 to 1999, they were unstoppable. For the first two years titles came in torrents, but no Grand Slams. But even that shortcoming was removed in 1999, when they reached all the four finals and won two, French Open and Wimbledon.

But then even as the whole nation began dreaming of an Olympic medal, the dream was broken. Leander and Mahesh split. Personal differences and differences of opinion on coaches came in the way, injuries followed and suddenly the world's best doubles pair was nowhere on the circuit. They recovered from injuries, but amidst all sorts of charges, excuses et al, they began playing with different partners.

The nation agonised as the Olympic Games came closer. Suddenly they decided to come back together, if only to fulfill an Olympic dream. And better still, they have decided to stay on together. But on the eve of the Olympic Games, they had little practice together, and in the two tournaments they have played together in the last six weeks, they hardly impressed andlooked rusty.

However both are confident of getting it all back at the Olympics. After all Leander does revel while playing for India and Mahesh is no slouch. In Leander's absence he carried the team to victory at the Asia Cup last December.

But one thing the two realised, united they were unbeatable, divided they were nothing. Different partners brought indifferent results. Now here at Sydney, where Leander was given the highest honour of carrying the National flag at the opening ceremony, the burden of expectation is heavy.

"I know it," he says in an understated way. "I loved carrying the flag at the opening ceremony," he added. But what about the tournament itself? That he prefers to keep silent on. He lost almost three months due to an injury and has just come back. "Let's see," he smiles and says enigmatically.

Everyone knows tennis is hardly the kind of a sport, you can win at by simply turning up. But the first step has been taken. Leander is fitter than he was some months back, he also has the confidence of his partner Mahesh Bhupathi, and together when they are on a song, they can be music for their supporters and nightmare for their rivals.

And a medal for their fans could be the ultimate dream. Can they do it?

India Abroad News Service