Chest bumps? It just happens. It certainly cant be planned for, Bopanna shot back -- possibly with a certainly not with Leander thrown in under his breath -- following the pairs Davis Cup win against Korea on Saturday.The fabled chest bumps that Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi almost turned into an insignia of their storied partnership before inflated egos tore them apart, are probably farther than the farthest thing on the minds of Indias Rio-bound pair, Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna.Maybe we need to plan on the jump or do you want to try something new? Paes butts in, directing the query at Bopanna. Its met with a feeble smile. The need to appear cordial is compelling. After all in less than a fortnights time they would be playing under the flag at the biggest sporting stage with little room for baring hurt egos or personal misgivings.Currently ranked 14 and 59 in doubles respectively, Bopanna and Paes havent exactly been friends, with every Olympics only unravelling the longevity of their bitter ties. While Bopanna refused to pair up with Paes at the London Olympics in 2012 -- where India ended up fielding two teams as a conciliatory measure -- this time around, he chose Saketh Myneni as his partner. The national tennis body, though, overruled his request and picked Paes instead.Thankfully for them, Saturdays Davis Cup rubber, their first and last one as a pair ahead of the Olympics, against the Korean duo of Seong Chan Hong and Hong Chung was one they could pretty much sleepwalk their way through. Or as former national champion Gaurav Natekar fittingly terms it, play in autopilot mode.They honestly didnt need much chemistry against the Koreans since the match was a pretty easy one, says Indias non-playing Davis Cup captain Anand Amritraj.There was no need for one to put a reassuring arm over the other or talk each other up having thrown away a set. The going was good and the communication needed was minimal. As long as things are going well and youre rolling over the other team its fine, its only when matters turn against you and youve got to lift your partner up or sit down and discuss changing tactics, that the need for an equation becomes crucial, says Amritraj, Thats going to be the challenge for Leander and Bopanna at the Olympics.The crevices in their already strained ties turned pronounced and took a toll on Indias World Group playoff tie against Czech Republic in New Delhi last September. With the tie delicately poised at 1-1 at the end of the first day, Paes and Bopanna went down to Radek Stepanek and Adam Pavlasek to hand Czechs the lead with India eventually falling back into the Asia/Oceania pool. It was only Paes second defeat in 15 years in a Davis Cup doubles rubber -- the previous one also coming with Bopanna in an away tie against Uzbekistan in 2012. They both were absolutely terrible, adds Amritraj, It was just one of the worst doubles matches I have ever seen.While Amritraj feels that the duo seems to be getting along a little better now than they did last September, their true test would lie in a tough match -- one that seems likely to come their way in Rio. Since theyve both been playing for so many years they know what will work against them and what wont, adds Natekar, I think the key would be to stay consistent and play well at the crucial points which is often the difference between winning and losing a set.With the cardinal maxims with regard to doubles partners being like-mindedness, complementary styles of play and most crucially rapport, Paes and Bopanna might not exactly fit the bill. The truth, however, remains that this is Indias best-possible doubles pair for the Olympics. Bopanna picking a 100-odd ranked Saketh, who has featured in little apart from Challengers and Grand Slam qualifiers so far, over an 18-time Grand Slam champion does defy tennis logic. While rapport forms a crucial factor in doubles, it cannot be mistaken to be the sole criteria.Personal equations are no doubt important, at the same time the very aspect that makes doubles interesting - contrasting personalities playing on the same side of the court - can sometimes be a double-edged sword, says Natekar.With the Olympics in sight, questions about their chemistry have been exasperating for both players. One may argue that theyve possibly brought it upon themselves. Thats all that we are asked about, the Olympics, a far from amused Paes said, when faced with the same query yet again. Here weve won a Davis Cup tie with some great performances, so maybe we should just focus on that.A lot would depend on how Paes serves, because once he gets into position at the net, his angles and drop volleys would pretty much take care of the rest. With age players tend to get a step slower getting to the net and instead of being in front of the service line, they end up being behind it and are then forced to half-volley, making it difficult to hold serve.With Bopanna, who plays on the ad side, returns are an area of concern. In that they could go completely awry. The few days of practice that the pair manage to get together ahead of the Olympics, would be crucial in getting their combination into sync. For us to win a medal in either mens doubles or mixed doubles this time seems like a pretty long shot, observes Amritraj. At 43 and 36 respectively, this could well be Paes and Bopannas final Olympic appearance. One that they wouldnt want to look back with regret for not having shown the heart to let go. Andreas Christensen Jersey . The Vikings announced Thursday that Priefer will be one of seven holdovers from the previous staff, along with offensive line coach Jeff Davidson, wide receivers coach George Stewart and others. 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Mateo Kovacic Chelsea Jersey .ca NFL Power Rankings, overtaking the Denver Broncos and remaining ahead of NFC competition San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans. Serena Williams was teed up for the upset. You could see it coming for Alize Cornet, the 49th-ranked Frenchwoman, whom Williams faced Monday in the second round of the Olympic Games in Rio. Cornet had beaten Williams the past three times they played, bringing their improbable rivalry square at three wins apiece.Just as ominous, the Olympic tournament was barely two days old and proving to be a hot mess -- a quagmire for favorites and stars.Among the casualties was mens top seed Novak Djokovic, who left the same Centre Court of the Barra Olympic Park weeping following his first-round loss Sunday to Juan Martin del Potro.Was it a further omen when top-seeded and three-time gold medalists Serena and Venus Williams were upset in the first round of doubles?Not hardly.Serena bent, but she did not break as she fought, foundered, recovered and hammered her way to a 7-6 (5), 6-2 win against Cornet.Ive lost some tough matches to her in the past, Williams told the on-court interviewer immediately afterward. I just had to not let all the elements get in my head because I didnt play great against her in the past.Cornets wins against Williams all happened in 2014, a stormy year for the American. And the skies werent always piercing blue for Williams in the interim, either. Who would have predicted that semifinal loss to Roberta Vinci at last years US Open? And what about her shortcomings in her next two Grand Slams, in Australia and France earlier this year?Cornet has the kind of game that makes other players want to teach her a lesson. Shes like a pebble in the shoe of everyone she plays. Shes tireless, her game is unpredictable, her attitude brazen. That puffball serve of hers begs to be cloobbered, but its hard to time it right -- especially for a player like Williams, who feeds on pace.dddddddddddd Cornets backhand is her pride and joy. Maybe thats why Williams went after it so wolfishly, stubbornly -- and futilely -- trying to break it down.Williams is 34, and questions always follow an aging athlete. Its all the more marked in the case of an icon like Williams. And the questions tend to repeat themselves. So do the answers. Over and over. At Wimbledon, she rebounded with an historic title. So its hardly surprising that once again Williams got into a jam Monday that she found a way to drill her way out of it.After racing to a 3-0 lead, Williams serve deserted her. She was broken, thanks to an untimely double fault in the next game. Then she failed to convert any of four break points in an agonizingly long game that followed, allowing Cornet to find some rhythm and work her way back into contention.Cornet is the wrong cat to let out of a bag. That was painfully clear to Williams when she found herself down double-set point at 4-5. Williams, however, hit a booming serve and powdered a backhand drive volley to dismiss one set point. Then she neutralized the other with an unreturnable serve.She continued hitting her dominant first serve and the crisis passed.An Olympic medal, like a coin, has two sides. The flip side of this one says that despite the drama and struggle, Williams did what Djokovic, Agnieszka Radwanska, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Venus and Ana Ivanovic -- to name a few -- have failed to do.She has lived to play another day in Rio. ' ' '