Beijing, Aug 13: Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have slowly but surely blown the cobwebs away. The Indian pair looked the champions they were not long ago as they swept aside the challenge of Brazilians Marcelo Melo and Andre Sa to reach the men’s doubles quarterfinal of the tennis competition at the Beijing Olympics here today.

Star tennis duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi marched ahead to boost India’s sagging campaign after medal hopes of shuttler Saina Nehwal and archer Mangal Singh Champia abruptly ended at the Beijing Olympic Games Wednesday.

Out of all the members in the Indian Olympic contingent three main ones who did not congratulate Bindra are Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Leander Paes and Sania Mirza.

The former two are individual medal winners for India and have been praising him on TV and to the press but have been unable to walk across to his room and applaud his effort.

Sania Mirza and Sunitha Rao crashed out of the Olympic tennis competition, losing to top-seeded Russians Svetlana Kuznentsova and Dinara Safina 4-6, 4-6 in the second round match at Olympic Green Stadium here Wednesday.

New Delhi: Carrying the hopes of a billion people is a ‘privilege’ for Sania Mirza and the Hyderabadi tennis ace vows to give everything it needs to bring home an individual Olympic medal, a feat only four Indians have managed since independence.