Melbourne: India's veteran tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi slammed the All India Tennis Federation's (AITA) policies when it comes to pairing players for big international events.
Bhupathi was baffled by the AITA's decision to pair Sania Mirza with Leander Paes for the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in Delhi, even though he and Sania won the Australian Open mixed doubles title in 2009 and also reached the final once.
Asked if he would be seen with Sania Mirza for the mixed doubles event in London Olympics, Bhupathi said when it comes to the Olympics it could be anybody's guess, but when it comes to Grand Slam, he and Sania would try to add another title.
"Funny enough, the politics of our association are so, that we really don't know," Bhupathi told reporters at the Australian Open on Thursday.
Bhupathi said that even after winning the Australian Open with Sania in 2009 they were not paired for the 2010 Commonwealth Games at home. Sania and Paes were knocked out of the Commonwealth Games by eventual gold medalists Jocelyn Rae and Colin Fleming from Scotland in the quarter-final.
"Sania and me won two years ago at the Australian Open and still for the Commonwealth games, they did not put us together. So as far as the Olympics goes, it is anyone's guess who is going to play with Sania. As far as the Grand Slam goes, we are going to try and win another title," he said.
Bhupathi last year split with his old partner Paes, a bronze medalist in the Atlanta Olympics, to pair with Rohan Bopanna with an eye to the London Olympics. Bhupathi and Paes reunited after a nine-year gap with the plan of representing India at the Olympics, but parted ways soon. Paes has partnered Czech Radek Stepanek for the 2012 season.
Sania had also supported the split, saying the decision was justified as the duo had played together in the Olympics without much success. Sania is also eyeing the three Grand Slams before the 2012 Olympics.
Bhupathi and Sania are seeded sixth in the mixed doubles event of this Australian Open and will open their campaign against South Africa's Natalie Grandin and Jean-Julien Rojer of Netherlands Antilles.
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