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Paes to miss Tata Open

Mumbai Dec. 30. Putting to rest speculation about his possible return to competitive tennis at the Tata Open to be held in Chennai from January 5, Indian tennis ace Leander Paes on Tuesday said he would not return to the court before the Australian Open.

Leander was supposed to partner Mahesh Bhupathi in the doubles event of the Tata Open but has now postponed his return so as to have more time to recover from the surgery he had to remove the brain cyst in July last.

``I was looking forward to playing in the Tata Open but now it looks like it will be the Australian Open that will herald my comeback. I have already talked on this with Mahesh,'' Leander said in a release here.

``I have been practising hard for tournaments lined up in the season starting January next. I am disappointed to postpone my return and realise that it is a long and hard road back to the professional circuit.

``Five months off the circuit is a long time in this competitive sport but I am sure that I want to come and compete at the higher echelons of the game,'' Paes said from Orlondo where he is currently training along with his coach.

Leander, who partnered the legendary Martina Navratilova to win the mixed doubles title in the last year's Australian Open, said he is now focussing on defending the title with Martina and fulfilling his responsibility in playing for the country in the Davis Cup.

Paes was forced out of the competitive tennis after he was diagnosed with `neurocysticercosis', a parasitic infection in his brain in the month of July.

PTI

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