Yes, I do have grass court shoes: Vishnu Vardhan

The tennis row took a new twist on Thursday. "The only one I need to worry about is Vishnu (Vardhan). I don't even know if he has grass court shoes." This statement made by tennis ace Leander Paes, while confirming his participation in the London Olympics, created an outburst on social networking platforms. Users tweeted about his lack of grace and uncalled-for comments.But the man about whom Paes commented remained unperturbed. "Yes, I do have grass court shoes," Vardhan told Pune Times.
Vishnu didn't find the comments offensive and instead looked at them in a positive light. "There is nothing offensive about it. It's just that Leander is concerned whether I am fully equipped and have the right shoes," he said. "It shows that he is worried about every detail. Getting the shoes right in a game is very important. Some players don't have grass court shoes and continue to play with hard court shoes. I think that is why Leander was concerned as the wrong pair can affect the game," he reasoned. In a previous interview, Vishnu had spoken about how Leander is an inspiration for him, and that has remained unchanged.
It's a matter of interpretation of his words, feels Vishnu who will partner Leander for the men's doubles at the Olympics. "I know I haven't played a Wimbledon or another big tournament like Leander or Mahesh Bhupathi, but I am absolutely ready for the Olympics. I have played the Asian Games and represented India in the Davis Cup, so playing for the country in the Olympics was the next obvious step." He is sure that Leander will be of great help. "But I want to play one tournament before the Olympics," he added.
Vishnu is also waiting to have a word with Leander and discuss the details of the programme. On Friday, he spoke with Leander's father, Vece Paes. "We decided to not disturb Leander during Wimbledon but we have shot him an email and hopefully he will reply soon," Vishnu said.