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Swatting away balls and winged arthropods

Kunal Diwan

NEW DELHI: An insectarium is what the R.K. Khanna Tennis Stadium resembled under lights on Saturday as the Indian men's tennis team gathered on Centre Court to gear up for the Commonwealth Games.

“They had some flavour, for sure,” said Mahesh Bhupathi, who swatted and, perhaps, ingested as many winged arthropods as he did balls, brandishing a new, long-handled racquet. “It's added 10 miles to my serve,” he said, waving his weapon of choice.

Excited

Bhupathi, who with Leander Paes forms the top-seeded men's pairing in the doubles event, was excited at the Games being held at home. “Anywhere else in the world and it would not have been so exciting. But this is home for us, and we're going to pack the stands,” he said.

Rohan Bopanna, who spent a tediously long time commuting from the airport to the Games village, and thence to the tennis venue, said he wasn't inordinately perturbed by the prospect of facing the top-seeds — Australia's Paul Hanley and Anastasia Rodionova — in the mixed doubles, with partner Nirupama Sanjeev.

“If you want to win an event, you have to beat everybody on the way,” he said.

Expressing concern

Top-seeded Somdev Devvarman, fresh off a win in a Challenger event in Turkey, however, expressed some concern over his first round opponent — Devin Mullings of the Bahamas.

“I lost to the guy in 2003. I know him since college and that was a long time back. But I have my work cut out from the first round itself,” he said.

On the newly-laid surface, Bhupathi said, “It's typical Rebound Ace, bouncing a little high, but that's expected.”

Leander Paes was absent from the session. He arrives in the city on Sunday morning.

Also seen in the stands was P. Chidambaram, Union Home Minister, who was observed deep in conversation with the security personnel.

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