London 2012 Tennis: Leander Paes, Sania Mirza confirmed in mixed doubles
Leander Paes and Sania Mirza were confirmed as India's mixed doubles team at the Olympics on Tuesday, the final act of a blazing selection row which split the squad.
Leander Paes and Sania Mirza were confirmed as India's mixed doubles team at the Olympics on Tuesday, the final act of a blazing selection row which split the squad.
Paes had demanded an assurance that only he would be paired with Mirza, rather than Mahesh Bhupathi or Rohan Bopanna, following the row over Bhupathi's refusal to play with Paes in the men's doubles.
Mirza previously admitted she was uncomfortable at being used as "bait" to keep Paes happy.
Mirza is partnering Paes at the Olympics despite winning two Grand Slam titles with Bhupathi - the Australian Open in 2009 and French Open in 2012.
"I am being offered in compensation to partner one of the feuding champions purely in order to lure him into accepting to play with a men's player he does not wish to play with," Mirza said last month in reference to the All India Tennis Association's decision to pair Paes with lower ranked Vishnu Vardhan in the men's doubles.
There were also ITF wild cards for the Australian pairing of Lleyton Hewitt and Samantha Stosur and Britain's Andy Murray and Laura Robson.
The mixed doubles event, which is back in the Olympics for the first time since 1924, features 16 teams and starts on Wednesday.