Indian stars in spat over Davis Cup selection
A simmering feud between tennis stalwarts Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi has boiled over after an ugly public spat following India's latest Davis Cup triumph in Bangalore.
No sooner had the hosts sealed a 4-1 win Sunday over Uzbekistan in the second round of the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group 1 tie, than Bhupathi lashed out at his sulking former doubles partner who was dropped from the squad last week.
"We gave him the option (of being a part of the squad and playing as a reserve) and he readily took it," Bhupathi, the non-playing Davis Cup captain, said after the win helped India qualify for the World Group playoff.
"So after that, to sulk about not being in the (playing) four was a bit unprofessional," Bhupathi said of his friend-turned-foe.
Adding fuel to the fire, Bhupathi put up a screen shot of his WhatsApp conversation with Paes on social media in a free-for-all slugfest aimed at countering Paes' charge of being dropped in humiliating fashion at the last minute.
The conversation suggested that Paes had agreed to join the squad despite being told there was no guarantee he would be in the final four.
Paes, 43, then accused Bhupathi of bias and using his position to deliberately keep him out of the squad.
"I was never categorically told that I would not be playing, but it was apparent that the decision was made before I arrived in Bangalore. This is what I found unnecessary and disrespectful," Paes said in a statement.
"That a private (WhatsApp) exchange has been made public just points to the kind of conduct that I find unbecoming of a Davis Cup captain.
"Talk is cheap, history books, however, don't lie," Paes fumed.
Paes, dropped for the the first time in 27 years, is just one win away from becoming the most successful doubles player in Davis Cup history.
With 42 doubles wins, Paes is currently tied with Italian legend Nicola Pietrangeli.