Federer backs Bhupathi-Bopanna to mount a strong challenge for his doubles gold medal at London Olympics

Roger Federer has backed Indian stars Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna to mount a strong challenge for his doubles gold medal at the London Olympics, says a report in The Times Of India.

Bhupathi and Bopanna start their Olympic campaign against Belarus's Max Mirnyi and Alexander Bury  while Paes and Vishnu Vardhan open against Robin Hasse and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands and Federer said: "I would love to play any of the Indian teams, but Bopanna and Bhupathi are closer to us in the draw. I don't know why they (Bhupathi and Paes) didn't play together, but Bopanna is a very good player himself and I'm sure on grass they will have a chance to do very well."

Although Federer's main focus will be winning a first gold in the singles, the 30-year-old would love to defend his doubles title after experiencing Olympic success four years ago.

According to a report in The Hindu, the much-maligned doubles combination of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna was seeded seventh, but that did not help them in avoiding a good team in the first round, as the tennis draw for the Olympics was made at Wimbledon on Thursday.

“The duo drew Max Mirnyi and Alexander Bury of Belarus in the first round. Quite interestingly, while discussing the possible combinations about a fortnight ago, Bopanna had stressed that world No.1 Mirnyi will not have a weak partner, as he was all praise for the 6’ 7” tall Bury. It will be an acid test straightaway for Bhupathi and Bopanna, who had refused to partner the country’s No.1 doubles player Leander Paes, basically owing to a lack of communication in terms of preparation for the Games, against the big game of the Belarusians on grass,” says the report, adding if they pull through, Bhupathi and Bopanna may play Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet in the pre-quarterfinals.

Meanwhile another report in The Hindu says that Roger Federer has been handed a golden chance to replicate his Wimbledon triumph after Thursday’s draw for the Olympic tennis event put most of the biggest dangers in the other half. World No 1 Federer, chasing a first singles gold medal, will take on Alejandro Falla of Colombia in round one when the event begins at Wimbledon on Saturday. Frenchman Julien Benneteau, who led Federer by two sets to love in the third round at Wimbledon last month, is a potential second round opponent for the Swiss.

World No. 2 Novak Djokovic, No. 3 Andy Murray, No. 6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and No. 7 Tomas Berdych were all placed in the other half of the draw.