_d.png "Independence Day 2025")
Bhupathi and some senior players had refused to travel to Pakistan before the International Tennis Federation (ITF) shifted the tie out of Islamabad to a neutral venue.
Mahesh Bhupathi
"AITA has done what it thought was best. Safety and security for our players is a big issue. But what baffled me the way AITA handled stars like Paes and Bhupathi. "They could have handled this in a better way. I've observed that when Paes gets selected, Bhupathi is left out and vice versa. This has been happening for last 10-15 years. This is not good for Indian tennis," the 77-year-old said.
The highlight of the Rs 5.7 lakh prize money tournament from November 5-8 is former India number one Somdev Devvarman, who will be seen in action for the first time after his retirement in 2017. This year it will be played in round-robin format with four designated teams in fray, comprising two players and a captain.
Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza will be here on the opening day as tournament 'mentor'.
Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
