Coaches disappointed at Paes-Bhupati loss

Kolkata :

Former national coaches and tennis experts expressed dismay at the failure of the Indian duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupati to fetch a medal at the Athens Olympics. "It was genuine bad luck for us this time," said former Davis Cup captain Naresh Kumar. "Our boys played very well but they were not able to clinch the issue at the crucial stages." Kumar said that the Indian duo could have won the bronze as they had at least three opportunities against the Croatian pair of Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic to turn the match in their favour. "In such crucial matches you should make use of even one opportunity to tilt the balance in your favour and they had three", Kumar added. He said it was bad luck that the fifth seed Indian duo after a promising start were upset by the unseeded Germans Rainer Schuttler and Nicolas Kiefer. Former Davis Cup player and national coach Akhtar Ali also echoed similar sentiments saying that it was really bad luck and very disappointing. "The Indian duo had a great chance in the semi-final against the unseeded German pair," Ali said. When asked what according to him was the reason for the failure of Indians at the crucial stages, he said that the Indians played their heart out but could not sustain the initial tempo. (PTI)