Bopanna and Balaji outclassed the Uzbek pair of Farrukh Dustov and Sanjar Fayziev in straight sets as India took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the tie. Apparently Bopanna was referring to Paes reaching the Rio Olympics venue just a day before their doubles campaign was to start. Bopanna had also made it clear that his game was not compatible with Paes' but AITA had still made them a team for the Olympics. Asked what tips he gave to Balaji, who made his India debut today, Bopanna said he advised the youngster to take the match "just as other normal match". The omission of Paes for the first time from Davis Cup team in 27 years angered the veteran, who lashed out at Bhupathi for dropping him.

Source: India Today April 08, 2017 23:37 UTC