Veteran tennis player Rohan Bopanna is all set up for his last hurrah at the Olympic Games. Ahead of the mega event, Bopanna spoke about choosing his partner for the double’s event at the Paris Olympics. The 44-year-old had to make a choice between Balaji and Yuki Bhambri, and after consulting his coaches, Scott Davidoff and Balachandran Mannikkath, Bopanna chose Balaji as his partner.
Bopanna has reason to have that confidence in Balaji’s ability to rise to the occasion. He also believed that the Indian duo has a genuine chance to win all the matches at the upcoming mega event.
There is 100% belief: Bopanna ahead of Paris Olympics
“I really believe that when we go out there, we genuinely have a chance to win every match, whoever we play against. It’s not like we’re just going to be written off, I feel,” Bopanna said.
“Every athlete who goes into the Olympics wants to win a medal, right? There is 100 percent that belief. Everybody wants to do better than the previous time. There’s no question on it, right? That’s how life is. You want to do better. You want to keep going higher and higher,” he added.
He has explosive game: Bopanna on partner Balaji
The veteran Indian tennis player says his comrade N Sriram Balaji has enough firepower, and the scratch pairing is potent enough to test the big teams in Paris.
“I felt Balaji, depending on the surface we’re playing with, which is clay, would have been the ideal partner. Currently, even if you look at (Matthew) Ebden, who I’m playing with, he’s somebody who’s more agile, and explosive on that surface,” Bopanna said.
“And for clay, especially, I need a partner who would suit me better in terms of going by the surface. If it was a hard court or a grass court, maybe Yuki would have been the preferred choice,” he added.
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