Indian doubles specialist Mahesh Bhupathi has refused to team up with his estranged partner Leander Paes at the Beijing Olympics in August. The feuding players do not play together on the men's ATP Tour, and Bhupathi, angered that Paes has no plans to play with him before Beijing, wants to be allowed to play with Davis Cup team mate Rohan Bopanna. “I'm not willing to go into the Olympics under-prepared and I have made this clear to the AITA (All India Tennis Association),” Bhupathi said Thursday. “It's just too late to play with Leander. He has made his plans clear for the lead-up to the Olympics, that he will play with his new partner Lukas Dlouhy so that he can get enough points to make it into the Shanghai Masters. Local media had reported on Wednesday that Bhupathi had written to the AITA seeking permission to partner Bopanna in Beijing. “If they don't want to respect my opinion, what can I say, it's their decision. They can field whichever team they want, or none at all,” Bhupathi said. AITA secretary Anil Khanna rejected Bhupathi's request, adding that he was confident the player would come around. “The idea is to win a medal... and not send teams to make up the numbers. We'd rather send no team at all,” Khanna said. Paes insisted he wanted to partner Bhupathi in Beijing despite their latest spat. “I've always believed that Mahesh and I have the best chance of wining an Olympic medal for the country. We came very close last time and should give it a serious shot in Beijing,” Paes said.
