Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Paes teams up with Raja for Winston-Salem Open and US Open

Leander Paes has teamed up with fellow Mumbaikar Purav Raja, who is only the seventh Indian to have paired with the veteran legend on the Pro circuit, for the Winston-Salem Open and the US Open.

Raja formed a very successful pairing with the left-handed Divij Sharan but since they failed to defend 250 points at Los Cabos, where they won the title last year, they lost 15 places each in the ranking list.


With their combined rank of 137 (Sharan 68 and Raja 69) they anticipated that as a team they would not have entered the US Open, where the cut last year was around 130, and they decided to split.

Paes, ranked 59, has paired with Raja and Sharan with Germany's Andre Begemann, who is placed 66.

The deadline to send entry was August 18. However as it turned out, a lot of singles players chose not to play the doubles and the cut did not come out as strong as expected.

Eventually the cut was 155.

Sharan explained that split was the only sensible option under prevailing circumstances.

"Yes, we could have entered together but we would have known only last minute. If we could not get in together, then we would have struggled to find partner at the last minute because everyone would have fixed the team. Or maybe only one of us would have found a partner, so we had to take a call early," Sharan said

Paes said he is looking forward to a good partnership with Raja.

"I have seen Purav grow all these years. He has really come up well and I believe we can pull off something big together," Paes said about Raja who will be the 119th partner for him overall.

Wild cards Paes and Raja will open their campaign against Paolo Lorenzi and Franko Skugor in their first match together on Pro circuit at the Winston-Salem Open, beginning tomorrow.

They have played together in the past in the Davis Cup tie against Korea in 2013 in New Delhi when top singles players had boycotted the rubber due to a dispute with the AITA on playing conditions.

Among other Indians with whom Paes has played on the Pro circuit are Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna, Gaurav Natekar, Nitten Kirrtane, Mustafa Ghouse and Ramkumar Ramanathan.

In the Davis Cup, Paes teamed up with Bhupathi, Zeeshan Ali, Ramesh Krishnan, Vishal Uppal, Fazaluddin Syed, Sunil Kumar Sipaeya, Sanam Singh and Saketh Myneni.

Asked if it will be a long term association, Raja said, "We will take it week by week."

Talking about Begemann, Sharan said, "He's a really good doubles player. He was ranked pretty high at 36 at one point of time.

More For You

AR Rahman shares selfie with Hans Zimmer

AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer smile together in viral selfie

Instagram/arrahman

AR Rahman shares selfie with Hans Zimmer as 'Ramayana' music collaboration excites fans

Quick highlights:

  • AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer will collaborate on the soundtrack for Ramayana: Part One, directed by Nitesh Tiwari.
  • Rahman shared a selfie with Zimmer on Instagram, captioned “With @hanszimmer #ramayanamovie”.
  • The photo sparked a wave of excitement online, with fans and celebrities calling it a “historic moment”.
  • Ramayana: Part One stars Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, and Sai Pallavi, and is set for a Diwali 2026 release.

AR Rahman’s latest Instagram post has set the tone for what might be one of the most ambitious film music projects in recent Indian cinema. The Oscar-winning composer shared a selfie with legendary Hollywood music producer Hans Zimmer, confirming their collaboration on Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part One. The picture quickly went viral, as fans celebrated the rare coming together of two globally acclaimed composers for a single Indian film.

  AR Rahman confirms collaboration with Hans Zimmer on InstagramInstagram/arrahman

Keep ReadingShow less
UK heatwave by mid-July

Daytime temperatures meeting or exceeding set thresholds of 25°C

iStock

Met Office warns of potential third UK heatwave by mid-July

Key points

  • Met Office forecasts rising temperatures by mid-July
  • Possible third heatwave after record-breaking June
  • High pressure system likely to bring hot air from the Atlantic
  • Yellow rain warning and flood alerts issued in parts of Scotland and Cumbria

Possible heatwave to return by mid-July

The UK could experience its third heatwave in a month by mid-July, the Met Office has said. Forecasters expect rising heat and humidity during the second weekend of July, following two weekends of unusually warm weather in late June.

June was officially the hottest on record in England, and the return of high temperatures could mean another heatwave for parts of the country. However, the Met Office cautioned that it is too early to confirm how hot conditions will get.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ozzy Osbourne returns to Birmingham

Birmingham celebrates its heavy metal roots with Back to the Beginning show

Getty Images

Ozzy Osbourne returns to Birmingham for final Black Sabbath concert after 20 years

Quick highlights:

  • Ozzy Osbourne to perform one final time in Birmingham on 5 July, reuniting with Black Sabbath’s original line-up.
  • Villa Park will host a 10-hour metal concert titled Back to the Beginning, curated by Tom Morello.
  • The line-up includes Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, and others; proceeds go to three Birmingham-based charities.
  • The reunion marks the first time Ozzy, Iommi, Butler, and Ward will play together in 20 years.

After a lifetime of chaotic stage antics, searing vocals, and defining an entire music genre, Ozzy Osbourne is officially calling time on his career. On Saturday, the 76-year-old rock legend will headline his final concert in Birmingham, his birthplace, alongside the original members of Black Sabbath, the band that started it all.

Billed as Back to the Beginning, the sold-out event will not only mark Osbourne’s last performance but also a rare reunion with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. Their last appearance as a full group was two decades ago.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mohammed Siraj 'loving the challenge' of leading India's attack

Mohammed Siraj in action. Reuters/Paul Childs

Mohammed Siraj 'loving the challenge' of leading India's attack

MOHAMMED SIRAJ said he "loved the challenge" of leading India's attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah after taking a six-wicket haul in the second Test against England at Edgbaston on Friday (4).

There was widespread criticism when India, who lost last week's series opener at Headingley, omitted outstanding spearhead quick Bumrah, the world's top-ranked Test bowler, from their team in Birmingham.

Keep ReadingShow less
crypto

Two men have been jailed for defrauding investors of £1.5 million through a fake crypto investment scheme. (Representational image: iStock)

Two jailed over £1.5m crypto investment scam

TWO people who duped investors of £1.5 million by selling fake investments in crypto have been jailed for 12 years, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said.

Raymondip Bedi, of Bromley, and Patrick Mavanga, of Peckham, conned at least 65 people by cold-calling them between February 2017 and June 2019. They operated companies including CCX Capital and Astaria Group LLP.

Keep ReadingShow less