Paes, Bhupathi to clash in French Open mixed doubles

Squabbling former partners Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi are pitted against each other in the opening round of the mixed doubles at the French Open.

While Paes will team with Russia's Nadia Petrova, Bhupathi will partner China's Jie Zhang.

Both teams are unseeded.

Meanwhile, in the men's doubles draw, released on Tuesday, Paes will play alongside Czech Lukas Dlouhy, after parting ways with Australian Paul Hanley.

The duo, seeded ninth, have been handed a first-round match against the unseeded Thai pair of Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana.

Fourth seeds Bhupathi and his Bahamian partner Mark Knowles have also been drawn against an unseeded team, Australian Stephen Huss and Brit Ross Hutchins.

Paes and Bhupathi, who have been at loggerheads for years now, were embroiled in a fresh war of words after Bhupathi wrote to the All India Tennis Association, saying he wants to team with Rohan Bopanna in the Beijing Olympics instead of Paes.

Meanwhile, Bopanna and his Pakistani partner Aisam-ul Haq Qureshi have a tough opener as they take on top seeds Americans Bob and Mike Bryan.

With Sania Mirza rendered out of action due to a wrist injury, the Indian challenge at the clay-court Grand Slam has been restricted to doubles only.