Disheartening Indian tennis row: Olympic medal long shot?

The team of CNBC-TV18's special series The Olympian Effort visits London to find out how the city is preparing for the worlds biggest sporting spectacle. The first thing we have to report is that the weather has been living upto its notorious reputation.

The opening ceremony is less than a fortnight away and bad weather will be a kill joy pretty much like the damper the behaviour of India's top tennis stars as put on our collective mood. Here's a look at India's medal prospects Tennis: Between them they have won a combined 25 grand slam titles and men's doubles and mixed doubles, three of those playing together. Their acrimonious splits and attempted reconciliations have played out in full view of the nation. Mahesh Bhupati and Leander Paes personal battles have once again made Indian Tennis look bad. This time it began with Bhupati refusing to play doubles with paes at the London Olympics. The AITA finally brokered a compromise formula that saw Mahesh Bhupati and regular partner Rohan Boppana get one of two Indian entries in the men's doubles event. India's number one doubles player Leander Paes would be teamed with relative unknown Vishnuvardhan in the men's doubles, but would also play mixed doubles with Sania Mirza who is paired with Paes instead of her regular partner Bhupati, with whom she won the French Open title in June, a fact that she is not happy about. The Olympic Tennis tournament will be held in Wimbledon, the same grass courts that are considered the spiritual home of Tennis, but given the bad blood and muck raking behaviour we have seen in the build up India's participation and Olympic medal here seems like a long shot.