an reflected, I came in when we were in a bit of tr

After enduring what he describes as one of his worst years on the circuit, Rohan Bopanna is hopeful of bouncing back next season in the company of a new partner in Uruguays Pablo Cuevas. Bopanna finished 2016 without a single tournament win and his individual doubles ranking has plummeted to 28. Having split with Romanian Florin Mergea, his partner for a large part of the last two years, Bopanna is now counting on improved results with Cuevas, who has a singles ranking of 22 and has won a mens doubles Grand Slam previously - the 2008 French Open with Luis Horna.I could have surely done much better, Bopanna told ESPN in Bangalore, where he is on a short break. I am disappointed in the fact that I couldnt win a tournament this year though I made some finals. Changing partners constantly after Wimbledon doesnt really help. It was challenging, but something for me to learn from and keep moving forward.Florin (Mergea) sent me an email right after US Open that he would like to find a different partner, which I completely agree with. As an individual player if someone wants to make that change and look for something different, they have every right to do so. Hence I had to find a new partner and hence Pablo (Cuevas) came into the picture. He has a similar game to Florin, who served and stayed back. I am used to this kind of partnership, so I thought I would stick to a similar type of partnership and see if it helps me.Bopanna has also decided to make changes to his methods and approach in his quest to overcome the downward spiral in his recent performances. After playing on the ad-court (left side of the court) in recent years, he will switch over to operating from the deuce court (right side) next year. He has had success in previous partnerships with Mahesh Bhupathi and Daniel Nestor by operating from the deuce court and is gambling on a similar outcome by returning to the formula.The 36-year-old has also made changes to his training regime by experimenting at the fitness fight club over the last few days. Bopanna says one of his main goals for the remainder of his career is to win a mens doubles Grand Slam title, though he concedes it will be an uphill task on an increasingly competitive circuit.If you look at the Grand Slams for the past 3-4 years there hasnt been a team that has won consistently, he says. That clearly shows the field is getting stronger, many more singles players are playing doubles. So you have to work with that, hence me getting a singles player as partner might just help me.But despite all the tennis he has played this year, Bopanna does miss not being a part of the ATP World Tour Finals, where he has reached the mens doubles final twice, in 2012 and 2015.My main focus is to play the Masters series and doing well in the Grand Slams. The ATP tour Finals is going on this week and I will be wrong to say I am not missing it. Last year was a great experience as was 2012. So when I am watching on TV, I feel a little let down by myself, not being a part of it. So that is my goal for next year, to get back into the top eight teams.Rio pain One of Bopannas biggest disappointments this year was missing out on a medal at the Rio Olympics. Having lost in the first round of the mens doubles with Leander Paes, Bopanna and Sania Mirza reached the semifinals of the mixed doubles before going down to Rajeev Ram and Venus Williams after taking the first set. A day later, they were beaten in the bronze medal play-off by the Czech pair of Lucie Hradecka and Radek Stepanek. Bopanna admits that the memories of those two matches in Rio continue to haunt him.I think it is a high point and a very low point, he says. Sometimes its better to lose the first round than to come so close. When someone brings up the topic, I do feel really hurt. It would have made a big difference for the country to win a medal. As athletes we go out there to try and win a medal for India, so coming fourth was very hard to take.Looking at the overall picture we had a better chance in the semifinals match against Venus and Rajeev. In the bronze match it was very hard, sometimes you are reliving the moments from the earlier match. It was on the same court and less than 24 hours later. We gave it our best shot. Credit to Venus, who really stepped it up, and gave confidence to Rajeev to play his game also.After their run in Rio and previous success at events such as the Hopman cup and the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL), there have been murmurs of Bopanna and Mirza forging a partnership for the four Grand Slam tournaments next year. Bopanna, who played with different partners at each of the slams last year, says that while he would relish the opportunity to join forces with Mirza, he understands why the world number one would not want to split up her pairing with Croatias Ivan Dodig.They are a good team, they reached the final of the French Open, he says. You cant break up a team just like that. Everybody wants to play with someone who is playing really good tennis and Sania is playing her best tennis right now. If there is an opportunity to play mixed doubles together surely it will be a great chance. Mixed doubles is there are only four slams. Combined ranking is important too. My ranking is much lower, Ivan is higher, so obviously they will be seeded higher if they play together rather than if I team up with her.Although he will be 40 at the time, Bopanna hasnt given up hopes of playing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics provided he can stay fit and healthy. In the immediate future though, he is keen to get some down time in before the third season of the IPTL begins at the end of the month. Having missed the Davis Cup World Group play off tie against Spain in Delhi with an injury in September, Bopanna is keen to get back in the mix when the Indian team assembles for their next tie in February against New Zealand in Pune.If I am fit, I will be 100% available, he insists. I am looking forward to the tie, it is on hard courts. I read they want to have three singles players in the squad, which leaves place for only one doubles specialist. So we will have to wait and see. 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According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. Essex 358 and 163 and 4 lead Sussex 448 (Jordan 131, Joyce 92, Archer 73, Napier 5-114) by 73 runsScorecard At some stage around 11.15 on the second morning, Chris Jordan ambled over - as Chris Jordan does - located the scruff of this games neck and promptly grabbed it. He has not let go since, picking up the final four first-innings wickets in double-quick time, then scoring a maiden first-class century to steer Sussex from choppy waters (a collapse of 6 for 49) to a handsome lead of 90.When Essex batted for a second time, Nick Browne turned Jordans fourth ball straight to square leg, and he summoned the last of his seemingly boundless energy to end a dangerously pesky third-wicket stand, with Dan Lawrence trapped in front. Even his withdrawal from the attack had a touch of class, as Tom Westley feathered his replacement David Wiese behind first ball. He will return on Sunday, rested and raring for Essexs final six wickets.If he can find those wickets, Sussex - even as the old lags Ryan ten Doeschate and James Foster shared a streaky but vital 52 late on, extending Essexs lead to 73 - have the chance to kickstart a curious season that sees them unbeaten after nine games having won just one. As long as Leicestershire fail to beat Derbyshire, Essex need a draw to go back past the new leaders Kent. The chase for the single promotion spot is set to be a barnburner, and this - a fine match on a fair, fast-scoring pitch - is crucial for both sides.Jordans was a magnificent, measured innings that eked every run out of Sussexs tail. In Jofra Archer and Danny Briggs, Jordan found a pair of able deputies, sharing 140, then 92, and still he found 43 thereafter. When the more extravagant Archer fell early for a superb 73, caught behind off David Masters, Jordan simply regrouped, stuck his head down and strolled along, adding a patient 40 - the last four of which came from a delicate sweep off Ashar Zaidi - to his overnight 59 to sit tantalisingly short of his maiden century as he settled down for lunch.Was he nervous? Was he heck. Nerves, its fair to say, are not Jordans bag; angsty sorts do not death bowlers make. I wasnt too worried! he laughed, I just had to keep a level head and if it was meant to be it would be… I knew that if I kept doing what Id been doing Id get there in the end, although it ended up being a bit streaky! Streaky it was, as he inside-edged the fourth deliveryy of the first over, his 164th, after the break to fine leg to move to 103.dddddddddddd. Ah, it would have been nice to bring it up in style but that wasnt meant to be. Id worked hard to get to that stage, so maybe I deserved a bit of luck!He had, as that was his first false stroke. Graham Napier, who took the wicket of Briggs for a composed and fun-filled 49 an over later (before mopping up the rest to finish with five wickets), noted that Jordan played like a man who has scored 100 hundreds, not just one.The innings tempo was the key, as Jordan allowed those he trusted - particularly Archer, but also Briggs (who drove beautifully having joined him still 45 behind) - to play their strokes, before accelerating himself. There were two extremely handsome sixes, straight and over extra cover - when joined by the injured Harry Finch and limited Steve Magoffin. His strokeplay in front and behind point stood out, but so did his ability to find a single; vitally, Jordan tired Essex out.When he finally fell, carting to cow corner, a clinic in revitalising a lame and tame tail came to an end. Im pretty happy with the tempo that I batted at, Jordan reflected, I came in when we were in a bit of trouble but I took one ball at a time, trying to build partnerships with anyone who was out there with me. Credit to Jofra and Briggs who put on key partnerships with me.At one stage, when Wiese prized out Westley, who lost his trademark fluency after an attractive start, it appeared Jordans efforts would be rewarded with a day off on Sunday. But thanks to ten Doeschate and Foster, back Essex will charge. Ten Doeschate, particularly, played within himself, weathering a barrage of bouncers - and verbals, some of which were returned, with interest (and interest from the umpires) - from Archer, who had earlier dismissed Jaik Mickleburgh lbw.Jordan felt the pitch so free-scoring that Sussex would chance their arm to chase upwards of 200, but Napier knew Essex required - especially after their lanky-looking tail was so easily cleaned up on Friday morning - more of the same from ten Doeschate and Foster. Were going to have to bat out most of the day tomorrow, he said bullishly, ahead of his final day on his home ground. We cannot give them anything in the first session. ' ' '