Former coach rules out possibilities of Sania-Bhupathi partnership

Former national tennis Coach Akhtar Ali ruled out the possibility of Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza partnering each other in any international mixed-double match as the prize money at stake is will force Bhupathi to look for a better partner. The former Davis Cup player was also critical of the furore raised over Sania's tennis attire and said the controversy was a bid to divert her focus from tennis. ''But thankfully Sania has tackled the situation wisely and has not allowed it to affect her game,'' he told reporters after inaugurating a tennis academy in Dehradun yesterday. Talking about the Hyderabadi girl's weaknesses he said her physique was one of her draw backs but now she was working on it and by a year or so she would improve. He said to improve the quality of tennis in the country, the association has started concentrating on youngsters between the age of 14 and 16 and pushing them to play in senior groups as soon as they prove themselves at the junior level so as to boost their confidence and augment learning process.