Paris Olympics: Sriram Balaji has explosive game, we can't be written off just like that, says Rohan Bopanna

Rohan Bopanna gears up for his final Olympic Games with partner N Sriram Balaji, aiming for a medal.

Aging like fine wine, Rohan Bopanna is all fired up for his last hurrah at the Olympic Games.

Not the one who would rail against circumstances or crib about not having the strongest of partners, the veteran Indian tennis player says his comrade N Sriram Balaji has enough firepower and the scratch pairing is potent enough to test the big teams in Paris.

Had Bopanna been ranked outside the top-10, India would not have any representation in the men's doubles event at the Paris Olympics, starting July 26.

The 44-year-old had to make a choice between Balaji and Yuki Bhambri and after consulting his coaches — Scott Davidoff and Balachandran Mannikkath — he eventually settled for the more "athletic and agile" Balaji.

"I really believe that when we go out there, we genuinely have a chance to win every match, whoever we play against. It's not like we're just going to be written off, I feel," Bopanna told PTI in an exclusive interview.

Bopanna has reason to have that confidence in Balaji's ability to rise to the occasion. He had a chance to test Balaji at the French Open where Bopanna was pushed along with Matthew Ebden by the Tamil Nadu player and his Mexican partner Miguel Reyes-Varela.

Not only this, Balaji had a consistent run on the ATP Tour where he scalped a few big names such as Americans Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek — both top-10 players — at the Houston ATP 250 event on clay.