Whatever the stage, Leander Paes is used to grabbing more than his share of the limelight. At today’s training session, though, he consigned himself to the background as his teammates practised on. He may have been restricted by the injury to his right ankle, but he was never far away from the action, instructing Prakash Amritraj and Rohan Bopanna as they attempted to perfect their serves and volleys. Even standby players Ashutosh Singh and Vishnu Vardhan were dispensed the advice at the National Sports Club of India, as the Indian team prepared for the upcoming Davis Cup tie against Uzbekistan.

The chances of Paes playing more than a supporting role in this tie are remote, and he himself admitted to it. “My ankle is strapped up, it’s still a bit tender. It’s on the mend, though. I can take the court if I push myself, but I am definitely not a 100 per cent ready. I may do my ankle some permanent damage if I play verdict on his injury.

“We have many options in the doubles, and if I am not ready, I will not hesitate to pull myself out of it. This tie against Uzbekistan is an interesting one. I watched Istomin at the Australian Open with my mind on the Davis Cup, and I saw that he has definitely made a lot of improvements in his game. He’s playing solid tennis and I want to see how he handles the grass. I haven’t seen Dustov play, but both of Uzbekistan’s singles players are very good. Grass, though, is a huge advantage for us,” he added.

... contd.