Leander Paes becomes most successful doubles player in Davis Cup
What's the story
Indian tennis ace Leander Paes has become the most successful doubles player in the history of Davis Cup, as he teamed up with Rohan Bopanna to clinch his record 43rd win. The victory also ensured that India remain alive in the tournament. India were trailing 0-2 in the tournament after Ramkumar Ramanathan and Sumit Nagal had suffered defeats on Friday.
Prolific pair
Paes-Bopanna team up to beat China
Paes and Bopanna kept their differences aside after the All India Tennis Association forced them to play together and they beat Chinese pair of Mo Xin Gong and Ze Zhang 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 in the Asia/Oceania Group I fixture. Trailing 0-2 in the tournament, India needed a win, in the doubles tie, to keep themselves alive in the tournament.
Scripts history
Paes breaks Nicola Pietrangeli's long standing record
Before this win, India's stalwart Paes was tied on 42 wins with Italian great Nicola Pietrangeli. He finally broke his record with a stunning performance against the Chinese on Saturday. Paes had made his Davis Cup debut in 1990 alongside current coach Zeeshan Ali. Later on, he went ahead and built a formidable partnership with current captain Mahesh Bhupathi.
Do you know?
Paes dominated men's doubles in the late 90s
Ageless wonder Leander Paes made his debut when he was only 16 years old. Today at 44, he is still going strong. Paes and Bhupathi dominated men's doubles in the late 90s. The duo put together the longest unbeaten winning streak of 24 matches.
Fingers crossed
India hoping for a better show from the youngsters
India will have to work hard if they need to move ahead in the Davis Cup. Paes and Bopanna have played their part, now it is up to young guns Ramkumar Ramanathan and Sumit Nagal. They will now have to win both the fixtures, if India have to advance to the World Group play-offs.