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Mahesh Bhupathi to set up an Academy in Sri Lanka
By Shamseer Jaleel
At last the country will get an academy for up and coming tennis players in the country when Grand Slam champion Mahesh Bhupathi of India sets up one in Colombo by April 2006. Mahesh who won the Grand Slam Men’s Double and Mixed Doubles was at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) courts yesterday giving some tips to the youngsters was present at the press conference same day in the evening.

Speaking at the press conference Mahesh told that as Asians we should be able to handle the pressure created by the Western players. I see lot of kids here who are talented and can make the country proud if they continue and coached properly starting from the young age. He spoke further saying that this kind of academy can create some stars. Back in India players in the calibre of Sania Mirza and Bhopanna came through this academy.

At present we have around 5 academies which were set up 4 years back. With Martina Navarlatilova playing in India recently in an exhibition match had ended up with lot of Women taking up tennis. Mahesh answering why he chose Doubles he said it was very difficult to concentrate on both and kept on improving in Doubles which encouraged him to continue. He rated Leander Paes (India) as best Doubles partner and Mary Pierce (France) as the best Mixed Doubles player.

Mahesh won the Grand Slam Men’s Double at French Open and Wimbledon when he paired off with Leander Paes (India). Later in the year 2001 he won the French Open pairing off with the same player. In 2002 He won the US Open along with the help of MaxMirnyl.

In Mixed Doubles he won the French Open (1997), US Open (1999), Wimbledon (2002 & 2005) and US Open pairing off with Rika Hiraki (Japan), Al Sugiyama (Japan), Elena Likhovtseva (Russia), Mary Pierce (France) and Daiela Hantuchova (Chec Republic).

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