Mahesh, Leander lose 3-6, 6-7 to Woodies

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Sydney: Another Indian hope went down the drain with the exit of the former world doubles number one pair Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi from the Olympic tennis competition.

Leander and Mahesh went down, albeit fighting especially in the second set, to the famed Australian pair of Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, who are popularly known as the Woodies. The Indian pair lost 3-6, 6-7.

The Indians went down in straight sets as they lost the second set in the tie-breaker. They had lost the first set 3-6. Leander and Mahesh had raised a lot of Indian hope even of a gold medal as they had taken the tennis double world by storm before they split up due to personal reasons.

The differences of opinion had cropped up between the two at the end of the last season when they had played in the season ending World Doubles championships.

Mahesh was then laid low as he underwent a shoulder operation to rectify a muscle injury. The two did not pair up after Mahesh's recovery and did not defend the French and Wimbledon crowns that they won last year.

In fact, they had figured in the finals of the Australian and US open as well and had displaced the Woodies as the top doubles pair in the world. It is hoped that they would continue to play together despite the loss in the Olympic doubles.



(c) Reuters Limited.