Leander Paes yet to get over last year’s Olympics selection fiasco

Paes has formed an excellent partnership with Czech Radek Stepanek (Getty Images)

The 14-time Grand Slam champion also had special words of praise for his current partner, Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic, “One of the reasons I think Radek is the best doubles partner is his intelligence to pick up things, the way he actually creates shots, the way he grasps what we are trying to do in each match. He is so fast that it makes fun to play with.”

“There are certain drills that I do to keep my hand-eye co-ordination going, keep my reflexes going. For me I like to control the game on the court, so I will hit shots into certain position where I know the ball will come back or at least I narrow the options down. With Radek at the nets, that is exactly what I am trying to work on. He is such a talented player. He is very intelligent. When I share something with him, he picks it up real quick. It is not easy for a singles player where you have to adapt to the doubles court,” he said.

Paes also revealed that he had spent time with multiple Grand Slam champion Ivan Lendl, who now coaches Britain’s Andy Murray, in order to improve his baseline play.

“I have shared a great relation with Ivan Lendl over the years. When I came out of the juniors in 1990, I was number one in the world, I travelled with Ivan for two and half years and trained with him and Tony Roche in Australia. I love to keep learning. My game at the nets is instinctive, it’s fast, but my game on the baseline is what I need to keep improving on,” Paes said.

“I watched specific players. I watched [Novak] Djokovic and the balance that he has on the court. I watched Andy Murray and the balance he has on court. Both those two players have a two-handed backhand that I can’t really relate but someone like Lendl had a single-handed backhand. Hence you can talk to him,” he mentioned.

“I spoke to him before the US Open, when we were in Cincinnati and we continuously have this ongoing dialogue. It is an ongoing process,” he added.

Paes, now a veteran on tour for over 27 years and having won almost everything there is to be won, still feels the need though to improve his backhand. “I still have to perfect getting a top-spin backhand. I still have to get a serve over 200 clicks an hour. I don’t think that is going to happen. But I think it is about getting better,” he said.

Paes was also asked about the likes of Vishwanathan Anand and Sachin Tendulkar, who like him, have continued playing into their 40s.

“I have tremendous respect for Vishy Anand and Sachin. We are all born around the same time and same year. We all sort of had a similar journey. I have amazing respect for what both have done.”

“What Sachin has done in the world of cricket is phenomenal. The role model that he is, is phenomenal. What Vishy Anand continues to do in his sport, profession, is fantastic.”