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Doubles aces debunk 'rift'

India's tennis ace Leander Paes today spiked speculation about the so called differences with his friend and doubles partner Mahesh Bhupathy.

Leander, who arrived here from Calcutta last night to get set for the Gold Flake Open championships beginning at the tennis stadium in Chennai on Monday evening, said, "It is all media speculation, it is being overplayed."

Leander confirmed that he was looking forward to a "great time" at the Open, where he will be gunning for a hat-trick of doubles titles with Mahesh as partner.

"I have always been doing well here, and every time I come here I've been enjoying my tennis", he said.

It may be recalled that it was in this championship for the first time that Leander and Mahesh won their first major doubles title in 1997. This year, they are the top seeds.

Leander said he would be aiming to do well in both singles and doubles at the Open. Last year, despite a shoulder injury, Leander had progressed to the quarterfinals in the singles.

Leander is drawn to take on a qualifier in the first round of the singles event.

Meanwhile, Bhupathy too said that reports of differences with his partner were exaggerated. "They are blowing it up", Mahesh said.

Mahesh said it was not as serious as it was being made out.

"I am struggling with a hamstring and an abdominal injury. Nevertheless I have decided to go ahead and play in the Open," Mahesh said.

On his chances against Australian world no 83, Richard Fromberg against whom he has been drawn to play his first round singles match tomorrow, Mahesh said: "I know he is a good player. But I am going to give it a big try." Mahesh's run in the singles event ended in the pre-quarterfinals last year.

"Yes, there is a lot of hype about Leander and me making a hat-trick of the doubles title this year," Mahesh said, when asked if the duo looked forward to retaining the doubles crown which they had won for the last two years.

He said the doubles field this year was better and tougher than the one last year. "We have to take it one match at a time,"

Asked about the courts at the Nungambakkam Stadium, Mahesh said, "They are a little slow now. But they are alright."

Leander and Bhupathy have been top seeded forr the event, while the Kirtane cousins Nitin and Sandeep, and Moustafa Ghouse and Prahlad Srinath, have been given wild cards for the doubles competition in the Open.

Another Indian, Syed Fazaluddin, has been given a wild card and is teamed with Sargis Sargasian.

UNI