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Paes to team up with Lareau

Sebastian Lareau of Canada, the world No. 4 in doubles, will partner Indian ace Leander Paes for the next six months.

Paes, the world No. 1 doubles player, who took a few days off from his busy schedule to celebrate Christmas with his family in Calcutta, broke the news, but hastened to add that the arrangement will be only for six months as his regular partner Mahesh Bhupathi is still nursing an injury.

The '96 Olympic bronze medalist said he is hopeful of Mahesh recovering by then and teaming up again.

Paes said that he had played with Lareau in many tournaments. Together they had reached the semi-finals of the US Open in 1993 and '94.

"We have played doubles together in many tournaments and have a very good understanding between us. I hope we will be able to produce good results in tournaments we will be playing in," he said.

For the ATP Gold Flake tournament in Chennai, Paes, however, will partner Byron Black. He said he chose Black because he is very good in service returns and volleys like Bhupathi.

"It is very difficult to get success in doubles unless one is complementary to each other," he said.

Paes, whose ranking in singles has shot up from 207 to 142 after he won two consecutive titles in Lucknow and Jaipur recently, declared that his main aim in the new millennium will be to improve his singles ranking.

''To start with I want to get into the top hundred and then up as far as possible."

He said he did not want to comment on the appointment of the new non-playing Davis Cup captain. "The All Indian Tennis Association must have done it for the betterment of the game," he said.