2008 champion Maria Sharapova kicked off a packed opening day at the Australian Open but was unconvincing in a straight sets first round victory over the Thai veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn. The Russian started the match looking anxious and serving five consecutive faults. After dropping her first service game, she managed to regroup and win the next seven games in a row as Tanasugarn herself looked a bit lethargic while moving around the court. Sharapova's serving woes dogged her throughout the 79 minute encounter in which she served a total of 10 double faults. She dropped her serve twice in the early part of the second set as Tanasugran rallied for a 3-1 lead. However, the Russian again managed to steady herself and win five games on the trot to complete a 6-1, 6-3 victory.
Sharapova, who also served 5 aces, got in 57% of her first serves in and won 75% of the points on her first serve but only 28% of the points on her second serve. The world's highest earning sportswoman in 2010 has struggled to recapture her winnng form and lethal serve since undergoing shoulder surgery in 2008 which saw her miss 9 months of action on the WTA tour. The Russsian will no doubt need to improve her game, especially her serve, as she progresses through the draw in Melbourne, with a potential blockbuster showdown with Venus Williams looming in round four.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
STAR GAZING in the AUSSIE OPEN QUALIFYING DRAW - PART 2
The women’s qualifying draw in Melbourne this year is littered with former junior stars attempting to achieve the same level of success on the women’s circuit and former stars hoping to reclaim their spot among the game’s elite. 96 players, including 7 Aussies, will kick off the action tomorrow hoping to win 3 matches and snatch one of the 12 main draw spots on offer. Here is a list of some of the women my eyes will be on in the next few days.
19 year old Coco Vandeweghe, currently ranked #115 is the top seed in qualifying. The 6 ft 1 inch American has abundant talent – big serve and booming groundstrokes - but is still to struggling to achieve results on a consistent basis. Vandeweghe won 2 ITF titles in 2010 and reached the quarter-finals of WTA events in San Diego (beating Zvonareva and Dulko) and Tokyo (beating Rezai) but may find her hands full in her very first match against Aiko Nakamura. The 27 year old Japanese has been in the top 50 in 2007 and reached the 3rd round in Melbourne in 2006 & 2007 but is on her way back from injury which saw her sit out 14 months between August 2009 to October 2010.
Two more players to look out for in Vandeweghe’s section are 15 year old Russian Irina Khromacheva, a wild card recipient and 21 year old Sesil Karatantcheva, born in Bulgaria but now playing for Kazakhstan. Tennis fans will remember Karatantcheva from a few years ago when she beat Venus Williams on her way to the quarter-finals of the French Open in 2005 and reached her career-best ranking of #35. In January, 2006, the ITF issued a two-year ban on her after two positive drug tests for nandrolone. While Karatantcheva has claimed she was pregnant at the time of one of the tests, another laboratory carried out a pregnancy test on her urine sample, and it tested negative. Karatantcheva returned in 2008 but has been unable to break back into the big time.
Two former top 30 stars will play each other in a marquee first round match. Germany’s Sabine Lisicki, still only 21 years old, has been to the quarter-finals of Wimbledon in 2009 as she reached #22 in the rankings but an ankle injury last year means she is now down to #156 and will have to win 3 matches just to enter the main draw. Her opponent in round one is 22 year old Michaella Krajicek, once ranked as high as #30 and also a former Wimbledon quarter-finalist but now struggling at #143 after suffering wrist & knee injuries in 2008.
In that same section is 18 year old Kristyna Pliskova, the 2010 Wimbledon junior champion. Pliskova won her first ITF title in May 2010 in Kurume, beating her twin sister Karolina 5–7, 6–2, 6–0 in the final. She won’t have to worry about playing her sister again in qualifying as Karolina, also 18 and the 2010 Australian Open junior champion, is in another section of the draw. One major hurdle in Karolina’s path could be Germany’s Anna-Lena Groenefeld, a former top 15 player and quarterfinalist at the French Open in 2006 but now ranked in the 150’s after dealing with well-documented issues caused by her former coach Font de Mora and the ensuing weight gain.
One billion eyes will firmly be on Sania Mirza. The 24 year old Indian has a 7-6 record in the main draw at Melbourne and is coming back from a career-threatening wrist injury. The Indian, seeded 24th, won the Dubai ITF Challenger in December beating 3 top 100 players including world #40 Julia Georges and will be hoping to continue her good start to the new season.
Two former world #14’s will also battle it out in round one. Russian Elena Bovina has been a quarterfinalist at the US Open in 2002; reached the 4th round in Melbourne and Paris in 2003 and 2005 respectively; and has also scored wins over champions like Henin, Capriati, Davenport, Myskina, Petrova, and Venus Williams. But the 27 year old has struggled since suffering a right shoulder injury in 2005 and a right foot injury in 2007 and has been unable to capture her earlier form. Her opponent in round one is Greece’s Eleni Daniilidou, ranked in the 160’s now following a knee injury in 2008. Daniilidou has been as far as the 4th round in Melbourne (2003), Wimbledon (2002) and the US Open (2004).
The winner of that match could face another veteran – 35 year old Luxembourg native Anne Kremer. The former world #18 is currently ranked #198 and is also a member of the Democratic and Liberal Youth in Luxembourg. She ran for the Democratic Party in the 2009 election to the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg but finished 15th on the DP list and was thus not elected. Kremer has been to the second round of the tournament proper in Melbourne six times, the last being in 2008 and has moved back up nearly 400 places in 2010 rankings.
Several other talented juniors who are expected to be among the sports headliners are also in the draw. 17 year old Croatian Ajla Tomljanovic has moved nearly 800 places in the last 2 years to her current ranking of #168. 20 year old Dutch girl Arantxa Rus is a former world #1 junior and winner of the 2008 Australian Open junior title but stuck at #139 in the WTA rankings. And both will be hoping to make some nosie Down Under.
Sloane Stephens and Noppawan Lertcheewakarn are in the same section which means only one of them can possibly qualify for the main draw. Stephens, a 17 year old African American is ranked #201 (also up 800 spots in the last 24 months), has won the last 3 Grand Slam Girls doubles titles. She also qualified for Indian Wells in March 2010, where she defeated Lucie Hradecká in the first round and then lost a closely contested match against the defending champion Vera Zvonareva. Lertcheewakarn is 19 years old and amongst Asia’s brightest hopes, being a former world #1 junior and winner of the Wimbledon junior title in 2009. She also qualified for the WTA event in Auckland last week.
Urszula Radwanska, sister of current world #14 Agnieska, is also a former top-ranked junior and winner of the 2007 Wimbledon girls' singles title. Now at the age of 20, Radwanska is ranked #193, down from #62 in August 2009 after undergoing a spine surgery in early 2010. She returned to action in August and won an ITF title in October and reached another ITF final in November. In the same section is 18 year old Brit, Heather Watson. Currently ranked a career high #142, Watson is now the youngest member of the top 150 after reaching her first WTA quarterfinal in Auckland last week. The Brit has won one major title at the 2009 US Open Juniors. Her game is often likened to Martina Hingis and she has been praised by Nick Bollettieri for her "Amazing footwork.” According to Nigel Sears, head of women's coaching at the Lawn Tennis Association, Watson possesses "a complete game", with a massive amount of variety including the consistent use of a one-handed backhand slice, volleys and angles.
So there you have it. The action gets underway tomorrow in Melbourne. For 12 of the 96 women, this could be the start of something big. The rest will have to wait another year for their moment in the scorching Melbourne sun.
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19 year old Coco Vandeweghe, currently ranked #115 is the top seed in qualifying. The 6 ft 1 inch American has abundant talent – big serve and booming groundstrokes - but is still to struggling to achieve results on a consistent basis. Vandeweghe won 2 ITF titles in 2010 and reached the quarter-finals of WTA events in San Diego (beating Zvonareva and Dulko) and Tokyo (beating Rezai) but may find her hands full in her very first match against Aiko Nakamura. The 27 year old Japanese has been in the top 50 in 2007 and reached the 3rd round in Melbourne in 2006 & 2007 but is on her way back from injury which saw her sit out 14 months between August 2009 to October 2010.
Two more players to look out for in Vandeweghe’s section are 15 year old Russian Irina Khromacheva, a wild card recipient and 21 year old Sesil Karatantcheva, born in Bulgaria but now playing for Kazakhstan. Tennis fans will remember Karatantcheva from a few years ago when she beat Venus Williams on her way to the quarter-finals of the French Open in 2005 and reached her career-best ranking of #35. In January, 2006, the ITF issued a two-year ban on her after two positive drug tests for nandrolone. While Karatantcheva has claimed she was pregnant at the time of one of the tests, another laboratory carried out a pregnancy test on her urine sample, and it tested negative. Karatantcheva returned in 2008 but has been unable to break back into the big time.
Two former top 30 stars will play each other in a marquee first round match. Germany’s Sabine Lisicki, still only 21 years old, has been to the quarter-finals of Wimbledon in 2009 as she reached #22 in the rankings but an ankle injury last year means she is now down to #156 and will have to win 3 matches just to enter the main draw. Her opponent in round one is 22 year old Michaella Krajicek, once ranked as high as #30 and also a former Wimbledon quarter-finalist but now struggling at #143 after suffering wrist & knee injuries in 2008.
In that same section is 18 year old Kristyna Pliskova, the 2010 Wimbledon junior champion. Pliskova won her first ITF title in May 2010 in Kurume, beating her twin sister Karolina 5–7, 6–2, 6–0 in the final. She won’t have to worry about playing her sister again in qualifying as Karolina, also 18 and the 2010 Australian Open junior champion, is in another section of the draw. One major hurdle in Karolina’s path could be Germany’s Anna-Lena Groenefeld, a former top 15 player and quarterfinalist at the French Open in 2006 but now ranked in the 150’s after dealing with well-documented issues caused by her former coach Font de Mora and the ensuing weight gain.
One billion eyes will firmly be on Sania Mirza. The 24 year old Indian has a 7-6 record in the main draw at Melbourne and is coming back from a career-threatening wrist injury. The Indian, seeded 24th, won the Dubai ITF Challenger in December beating 3 top 100 players including world #40 Julia Georges and will be hoping to continue her good start to the new season.
Two former world #14’s will also battle it out in round one. Russian Elena Bovina has been a quarterfinalist at the US Open in 2002; reached the 4th round in Melbourne and Paris in 2003 and 2005 respectively; and has also scored wins over champions like Henin, Capriati, Davenport, Myskina, Petrova, and Venus Williams. But the 27 year old has struggled since suffering a right shoulder injury in 2005 and a right foot injury in 2007 and has been unable to capture her earlier form. Her opponent in round one is Greece’s Eleni Daniilidou, ranked in the 160’s now following a knee injury in 2008. Daniilidou has been as far as the 4th round in Melbourne (2003), Wimbledon (2002) and the US Open (2004).
The winner of that match could face another veteran – 35 year old Luxembourg native Anne Kremer. The former world #18 is currently ranked #198 and is also a member of the Democratic and Liberal Youth in Luxembourg. She ran for the Democratic Party in the 2009 election to the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg but finished 15th on the DP list and was thus not elected. Kremer has been to the second round of the tournament proper in Melbourne six times, the last being in 2008 and has moved back up nearly 400 places in 2010 rankings.
Several other talented juniors who are expected to be among the sports headliners are also in the draw. 17 year old Croatian Ajla Tomljanovic has moved nearly 800 places in the last 2 years to her current ranking of #168. 20 year old Dutch girl Arantxa Rus is a former world #1 junior and winner of the 2008 Australian Open junior title but stuck at #139 in the WTA rankings. And both will be hoping to make some nosie Down Under.
Sloane Stephens and Noppawan Lertcheewakarn are in the same section which means only one of them can possibly qualify for the main draw. Stephens, a 17 year old African American is ranked #201 (also up 800 spots in the last 24 months), has won the last 3 Grand Slam Girls doubles titles. She also qualified for Indian Wells in March 2010, where she defeated Lucie Hradecká in the first round and then lost a closely contested match against the defending champion Vera Zvonareva. Lertcheewakarn is 19 years old and amongst Asia’s brightest hopes, being a former world #1 junior and winner of the Wimbledon junior title in 2009. She also qualified for the WTA event in Auckland last week.
Urszula Radwanska, sister of current world #14 Agnieska, is also a former top-ranked junior and winner of the 2007 Wimbledon girls' singles title. Now at the age of 20, Radwanska is ranked #193, down from #62 in August 2009 after undergoing a spine surgery in early 2010. She returned to action in August and won an ITF title in October and reached another ITF final in November. In the same section is 18 year old Brit, Heather Watson. Currently ranked a career high #142, Watson is now the youngest member of the top 150 after reaching her first WTA quarterfinal in Auckland last week. The Brit has won one major title at the 2009 US Open Juniors. Her game is often likened to Martina Hingis and she has been praised by Nick Bollettieri for her "Amazing footwork.” According to Nigel Sears, head of women's coaching at the Lawn Tennis Association, Watson possesses "a complete game", with a massive amount of variety including the consistent use of a one-handed backhand slice, volleys and angles.
So there you have it. The action gets underway tomorrow in Melbourne. For 12 of the 96 women, this could be the start of something big. The rest will have to wait another year for their moment in the scorching Melbourne sun.
For more of my articles, visit my Facebook page and click on LIKE to ensure you receive regular updates..
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Tuesday, January 11, 2011
STAR GAZING in the AUSSIE OPEN QUALIFYING DRAW - PART 1
For Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and other top tennis players, the Australian Open gets underway in Melbourne on Monday. Federer and Nadal will both be chasing history; the Swiss seeking to win a record 17th Slam to further pace himself ahead in the race to all-time greatness while Nadal will be bidding to become the first men's player since Rod Laver to hold all four Slams at the same time. Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Robin Soderling might have different things to say about that.
But for another 128 players, the Australian Open gets underway on Wednesday as the qualifying tournament begins. 128 players will seek to win 3 matches to grab one of 16 coveted spots into the main draw of the year's first Grand Slam. The qualifying draw of any Slam always presents an eclectic mix of players – young newcomers hoping to breakthrough at a major event and get noticed; former stars who have fallen from the top rung of world tennis battling back from injury or poor form; and local hopes riding on the wild cards of tournament organizers aiming to maximise the opportunity presented to them. All of them aiming to follow in the footsteps of John McEnroe who went from the qualifying draw at Wimbledon in 1977 straight into the semi-finals. As I scanned through this year's draw, here are some of the names that caught my attention and who I will be following closely over the next few days.
23 year old Slovenian Blaz Kavcic is the top seed in qualifying and would be hoping a pull-out by someone in the main draw will send him straight into next week's tournament proper. Kavcic, currently ranked #100 (highest rank #96) made his Grand Slam debut at Melbourne last year as a qualifier losing to Wayne Odesnik in round one and also reached the 2nd round in Paris, besides winning 3 challenger titles in Aug-Sept 2010. He is coming off a quarter-final appearance in the ATP 250 event in Chennai last week. But he has a few hurdles in his section of the draw. Kavcic takes on Australian youngster Benjamin Mitchell in round one. Mitchell is considered to be one of Australia's most encouraging prospects, having reached the final of the boys singles at Wimbledon 2010.
Seeded to meet Kavcic in the third round is 25th seed Ilija Bozoljac, currently ranked #152 (highest rank #101). The 6 ft 4 inch Serb is best remembered for his entertaining 2nd round match against Roger Federer at Wimbledon last year where he qualified and has also reached the 2nd round in Melbourne in 2007.
Seeded second is Simone Bolelli, the 25 year old Italian currently ranked #107. Bolelli has been ranked as high as #36 only two years ago and has been to the second round in Melbourne in 2008 and 2009. A famous name lurking in his section is 31 year old Chilean Nicolas Massu. The 2004 Olympics singles & doubles god medallist is now ranked a lowly 186, far away from his peak of #9 in 2004. Also in the same section is Brydan Klein, a controversial 21 year old Aussie – currently ranked #215. Klein reached the second round in Melbourne in 2009 and won 3 ITF Futures and reached 4 more finals in a row towards the end of 2010 – which saw his ranking move from 416 to around 200. The 2007 Australian Open boys' singles champion has been in the news for the wrong reasons; getting suspended for six months in 2009 for calling a South African opponent a "kaffir" and allegedly spitting at his coach and another player during a tournament in Eastbourne, England. Despite saying he was remorseful, the Perth baseliner stumbled into more trouble in New Zealand last month. In losing to German Sebastian Rieschick, Klein reportedly threw his racquet repeatedly, swore and had a running verbal battle with courtside photographers. These altercations cost Klein a chance to compete in the wild-card play off among Australians in December but his ranking is high enough to ensure him a spot in the qualifying draw.
A name to watch out for in the coming years is Grigor Dimitrov, nicknamed G-Force. The 19 year old Bulgarian, seeded 3rd in qualifying and ranked #108, has been labelled the next Federer since capturing the Wimbledon and US Open junior titles in 2008 and was earlier coached by Federer's former caoch Peter Lundgren. In between August and September 2010, Dimitrov won three straight Challenger titles and reached one more final. Dimitrov will have to contend with Austrian veteran Stefan Koubek, his projected third round opponent in qualifying. Koubek, seeded 19th and currently ranked #133, was ranked as high as #20 in 2000 and has been a quarter-finalist in Melbourne in 2002. Last year, he qualified and went on to reach the 3rd round.
25 year old Aussie Chris Guccione, one of 12 locals in the draw, is making his way back after seeing his ranking drop from #67 to the low 300's following an Achilees injury which saw him lose 10 matches in a row between August 2009 and July 2010. The 6ft 7inch Aussie had played 6 Australian Opens in a row from 2004 to 2009 reaching the second round in 2004 and 2009 but had to rely on a wild card to get into the qualifying event this year.
Swiss Marco Chiudinelli has not been able to replicate his remarkable 2009 season which saw him make the second-biggest ranking jump of any player in Top 100, climbing over 700 positions from 2008 and won him the Most Improved Player award in 2009. Chiudinelli,29, is currently ranked #115, down from a career-high #52 in February 2009 and is showing good form, having qualified in Doha last week before losing to good friend Federer 6-7, 5-7.
Austria's Andreas Haider-Maurer, seeded 7th and ranked #118, is coming off a strong end in 2010 – qualifying for his first Grand Slam in New York before losing to Robin Soderling in five tough sets and reaching the finals of the ATP event in Vienna in October losing to countryman Jurgen Melzer. In his section is 18th seed Nicholas Mahut. The Frenchman will forever be known for his 11 hour match against John Isner at Wimbledon last year. Currently ranked #132, Mahut has been as high as #40 in 2008 and is coming off a decent perofrmance at the Hopman Cup where he further endeared himself to the public thanks to this stunt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ15RJYtfp0
Israeli Amir Weintraub is currently at a career high # 270 and you may want to follow him only for this http://www.menstennisforums.com/showthread.php?t=17495 Weintraub also won 4 ITF futures last year.
27 year old Luxembourg native Giles Muller is seeded #11 and is currently ranked #122. At his peak in 2005, Muller stunned Any Roddick in three tiebreaks in round one of the US Open in 2005 on his way to achieveing a peak ranking of #59 and also went on to reach the quater-finals at Flushing Meadows three years later. Muller is also showing good form having reached the finals of a Challenger last week in Australia and also made 4 finals in in the lower-rung events in 2010.
Big things were predicted for Frenchman Josselin Ouanna when he beat Marat Safin 10-8in the fifth set in the second round of the French Open in 2009. However, Ouanna has struggled to make the next step. His ranking of #154, down from #88 in 2009, is only good enough to earn him the #27 seed in the qualifying draw.
Big things were also predicted for Donald Young. In 2005, Young won the Australian Open junior title at age 15 and became youngest year-end World No. 1 in junior rankings at 16 years, 5 months and in 2007, he captured Wimbledon junior title. But Young has struggled to transition into the men's game and has been criticized for sticking to his parents as coaches. In 2008, he maanged to climb to #73 in the rankings, but he has not been able to hold on to his top 100 ranking. Currently ranked 129, the 21 year old Young will be hoping for a repeat of 2010 when he qualified for the year's first major and reached the second round before losing to Lleyton Hewitt. Someone he will need to watch for in his section is 28th seed Marc Gicquel. The Frenchman, ranked high as #37 in 2008, is now down to #155 and at 32, he is probably on his last legs but still capable of competing with the likes of Young.
And big things are also being predicted for 20 year old Candian Milos Raonic, by no one less than Nadal himself. The 26th seeded Raonic qualified for the ATP event in Tokyo in the fall and lost a close match to Nadal 64 64 in the second round, following which Nadal commented, "He can become a very good player. I don't know when, but he will be very close to the top positions.” Raonic is currently ranked a career-high #153 having jumped more than 800 places in the rankings in the last 24 months and in Kuala Lampur became the third different Canadian to reach the quarter-finals or better in an ATP World Tour tournament since 2000.
A good result in qualifying for any of the 128 players could be a launching pad into tennis' big events in 2011 and would also provide them a big paycheck. First round losers in Melbourne are guaranteed A$20,000 which would go a long way in ensuring their survival on the expensive grind that is the professional circuit for a few months atleast. As these guys hit the courts in Melbourne tomorrow. I'll be back with a look at the womens qualifying draw and some of the new names trying to establish themselves and big names trying to re-estbalish themselves in the world of tennis.
For more of my articles, visit my Facebook page and click on LIKE to ensure you receive regular updates..
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But for another 128 players, the Australian Open gets underway on Wednesday as the qualifying tournament begins. 128 players will seek to win 3 matches to grab one of 16 coveted spots into the main draw of the year's first Grand Slam. The qualifying draw of any Slam always presents an eclectic mix of players – young newcomers hoping to breakthrough at a major event and get noticed; former stars who have fallen from the top rung of world tennis battling back from injury or poor form; and local hopes riding on the wild cards of tournament organizers aiming to maximise the opportunity presented to them. All of them aiming to follow in the footsteps of John McEnroe who went from the qualifying draw at Wimbledon in 1977 straight into the semi-finals. As I scanned through this year's draw, here are some of the names that caught my attention and who I will be following closely over the next few days.
23 year old Slovenian Blaz Kavcic is the top seed in qualifying and would be hoping a pull-out by someone in the main draw will send him straight into next week's tournament proper. Kavcic, currently ranked #100 (highest rank #96) made his Grand Slam debut at Melbourne last year as a qualifier losing to Wayne Odesnik in round one and also reached the 2nd round in Paris, besides winning 3 challenger titles in Aug-Sept 2010. He is coming off a quarter-final appearance in the ATP 250 event in Chennai last week. But he has a few hurdles in his section of the draw. Kavcic takes on Australian youngster Benjamin Mitchell in round one. Mitchell is considered to be one of Australia's most encouraging prospects, having reached the final of the boys singles at Wimbledon 2010.
Seeded to meet Kavcic in the third round is 25th seed Ilija Bozoljac, currently ranked #152 (highest rank #101). The 6 ft 4 inch Serb is best remembered for his entertaining 2nd round match against Roger Federer at Wimbledon last year where he qualified and has also reached the 2nd round in Melbourne in 2007.
Seeded second is Simone Bolelli, the 25 year old Italian currently ranked #107. Bolelli has been ranked as high as #36 only two years ago and has been to the second round in Melbourne in 2008 and 2009. A famous name lurking in his section is 31 year old Chilean Nicolas Massu. The 2004 Olympics singles & doubles god medallist is now ranked a lowly 186, far away from his peak of #9 in 2004. Also in the same section is Brydan Klein, a controversial 21 year old Aussie – currently ranked #215. Klein reached the second round in Melbourne in 2009 and won 3 ITF Futures and reached 4 more finals in a row towards the end of 2010 – which saw his ranking move from 416 to around 200. The 2007 Australian Open boys' singles champion has been in the news for the wrong reasons; getting suspended for six months in 2009 for calling a South African opponent a "kaffir" and allegedly spitting at his coach and another player during a tournament in Eastbourne, England. Despite saying he was remorseful, the Perth baseliner stumbled into more trouble in New Zealand last month. In losing to German Sebastian Rieschick, Klein reportedly threw his racquet repeatedly, swore and had a running verbal battle with courtside photographers. These altercations cost Klein a chance to compete in the wild-card play off among Australians in December but his ranking is high enough to ensure him a spot in the qualifying draw.
A name to watch out for in the coming years is Grigor Dimitrov, nicknamed G-Force. The 19 year old Bulgarian, seeded 3rd in qualifying and ranked #108, has been labelled the next Federer since capturing the Wimbledon and US Open junior titles in 2008 and was earlier coached by Federer's former caoch Peter Lundgren. In between August and September 2010, Dimitrov won three straight Challenger titles and reached one more final. Dimitrov will have to contend with Austrian veteran Stefan Koubek, his projected third round opponent in qualifying. Koubek, seeded 19th and currently ranked #133, was ranked as high as #20 in 2000 and has been a quarter-finalist in Melbourne in 2002. Last year, he qualified and went on to reach the 3rd round.
25 year old Aussie Chris Guccione, one of 12 locals in the draw, is making his way back after seeing his ranking drop from #67 to the low 300's following an Achilees injury which saw him lose 10 matches in a row between August 2009 and July 2010. The 6ft 7inch Aussie had played 6 Australian Opens in a row from 2004 to 2009 reaching the second round in 2004 and 2009 but had to rely on a wild card to get into the qualifying event this year.
Swiss Marco Chiudinelli has not been able to replicate his remarkable 2009 season which saw him make the second-biggest ranking jump of any player in Top 100, climbing over 700 positions from 2008 and won him the Most Improved Player award in 2009. Chiudinelli,29, is currently ranked #115, down from a career-high #52 in February 2009 and is showing good form, having qualified in Doha last week before losing to good friend Federer 6-7, 5-7.
Austria's Andreas Haider-Maurer, seeded 7th and ranked #118, is coming off a strong end in 2010 – qualifying for his first Grand Slam in New York before losing to Robin Soderling in five tough sets and reaching the finals of the ATP event in Vienna in October losing to countryman Jurgen Melzer. In his section is 18th seed Nicholas Mahut. The Frenchman will forever be known for his 11 hour match against John Isner at Wimbledon last year. Currently ranked #132, Mahut has been as high as #40 in 2008 and is coming off a decent perofrmance at the Hopman Cup where he further endeared himself to the public thanks to this stunt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ15RJYtfp0
Israeli Amir Weintraub is currently at a career high # 270 and you may want to follow him only for this http://www.menstennisforums.com/showthread.php?t=17495 Weintraub also won 4 ITF futures last year.
27 year old Luxembourg native Giles Muller is seeded #11 and is currently ranked #122. At his peak in 2005, Muller stunned Any Roddick in three tiebreaks in round one of the US Open in 2005 on his way to achieveing a peak ranking of #59 and also went on to reach the quater-finals at Flushing Meadows three years later. Muller is also showing good form having reached the finals of a Challenger last week in Australia and also made 4 finals in in the lower-rung events in 2010.
Big things were predicted for Frenchman Josselin Ouanna when he beat Marat Safin 10-8in the fifth set in the second round of the French Open in 2009. However, Ouanna has struggled to make the next step. His ranking of #154, down from #88 in 2009, is only good enough to earn him the #27 seed in the qualifying draw.
Big things were also predicted for Donald Young. In 2005, Young won the Australian Open junior title at age 15 and became youngest year-end World No. 1 in junior rankings at 16 years, 5 months and in 2007, he captured Wimbledon junior title. But Young has struggled to transition into the men's game and has been criticized for sticking to his parents as coaches. In 2008, he maanged to climb to #73 in the rankings, but he has not been able to hold on to his top 100 ranking. Currently ranked 129, the 21 year old Young will be hoping for a repeat of 2010 when he qualified for the year's first major and reached the second round before losing to Lleyton Hewitt. Someone he will need to watch for in his section is 28th seed Marc Gicquel. The Frenchman, ranked high as #37 in 2008, is now down to #155 and at 32, he is probably on his last legs but still capable of competing with the likes of Young.
And big things are also being predicted for 20 year old Candian Milos Raonic, by no one less than Nadal himself. The 26th seeded Raonic qualified for the ATP event in Tokyo in the fall and lost a close match to Nadal 64 64 in the second round, following which Nadal commented, "He can become a very good player. I don't know when, but he will be very close to the top positions.” Raonic is currently ranked a career-high #153 having jumped more than 800 places in the rankings in the last 24 months and in Kuala Lampur became the third different Canadian to reach the quarter-finals or better in an ATP World Tour tournament since 2000.
A good result in qualifying for any of the 128 players could be a launching pad into tennis' big events in 2011 and would also provide them a big paycheck. First round losers in Melbourne are guaranteed A$20,000 which would go a long way in ensuring their survival on the expensive grind that is the professional circuit for a few months atleast. As these guys hit the courts in Melbourne tomorrow. I'll be back with a look at the womens qualifying draw and some of the new names trying to establish themselves and big names trying to re-estbalish themselves in the world of tennis.
For more of my articles, visit my Facebook page and click on LIKE to ensure you receive regular updates..
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Haresh-Ramchandanis-Tennis-Chronicles/106612526073357
Sunday, January 2, 2011
WILD CHOICE FOR WILD CARD
The wild card in tennis tournaments is a prerogative of the tournament
director and officials to ensure home players, young newcomers and
players coming back from injury or a break can directly enter the main
draw. And there is a lot of behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing
that goes into the decisioning of the wild card awardees. Sports
managers, tournament sponsors and tournament directors all like to
have a say in the final selection – which often means that not all
deserving candidates make the final cut. Organizers of this year's
Chennai Open have awarded their three wild cards to world no. 21
Stanislas Wawrinka (more than deserving considering he is a big draw
for the fans and also reached the Chennai finals last year), 18 year
old local hope Yuki Bhambri (again deserving given that he is India's
brightest young talent by far in the men's game) and surprisingly
Rohan Bopanna.
Not many eyebrows have been raised at the decision to award Bopanna a
wild card given that he is a top doubles player (having reached the
final of the US Open men's doubles in August) and also won the
deciding fifth rubber in India's Davis Cup victory over Brazil,
upsetting then world no. 75 Ricardo Mello a few months ago in Chennai
itself. But scratching deeper might give one a different perspective.
Bopanna is currently the ninth highest ranked Indian on the ATP list
and excluding Davis Cup, he played a total of 7 singles events last
year, finishing with a 7-7 record on the tour, highlighted by
qualifying for the Halle grass court championships in June. Bopanna
started the 2010 ranked 83 in doubles and with the success that he has
had with Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, he is going to find it even tougher
this year to concentrate on singles. Given that and his age (at 30,
his best days as a singles player are probably behind him), and you
probably think that the third wild card could have been given to a
more deserving candidate.
India's #2 ranked player on the ATP rankings is Karan Rastogi, at 24
six years younger than Bopanna, and ranked 332 in the ATP rankings,
nearly 300 places above Bopanna. Rastogi finished 2010 with a 41-21
record and had missed 18 months in 2008-09 after undergoing back
surgery. He went from unranked in October 2009 to his current ranking
of 332, winning 2 ITF futures besides reaching the finals of three
others – and ended the year reaching back to back finals in the ITF
Futures in Nigeria winning the last of them.
Another overlooked candidate is 23 year old Vishnu Vardhan, currently
ranked 386 in the ATP rankings. Vardhan finished the year with a 37-19
record, having reached 2 ITF Futures finals in 2010 and 3 more semi
finals including one at the Uzbekistan Challenger.
Both Rastogi and Vardhan are better singles prospects and a wild card
into the main draw could have given them the same boost that it gave
Somdev a couple of years ago. Somdev ranked # 202 in January 2009
made maximum advantage of his wild card as he marched on to the final
that year and is today India's top player at 108, having peaked at #95
a few months ago. Hence, the decision to give this opportunity to a
doubles specialist seems surprising to say the least. Rastogi and
Vardhan both had to go to the qualifying draw where Rastogi lost in
the first round while Vardhan was beaten in the second round today
(you need to win 3 matches to qualify the main draw). The two will now
continue to grind the lower rungs of the world tennis circuit while
Bopanna will move to the main ATP tour pit stops to focus on his quest
for Grand Slam doubles glory. The players have their priorities
right. Unfortunately for them, the tournament organizers do not.
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director and officials to ensure home players, young newcomers and
players coming back from injury or a break can directly enter the main
draw. And there is a lot of behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing
that goes into the decisioning of the wild card awardees. Sports
managers, tournament sponsors and tournament directors all like to
have a say in the final selection – which often means that not all
deserving candidates make the final cut. Organizers of this year's
Chennai Open have awarded their three wild cards to world no. 21
Stanislas Wawrinka (more than deserving considering he is a big draw
for the fans and also reached the Chennai finals last year), 18 year
old local hope Yuki Bhambri (again deserving given that he is India's
brightest young talent by far in the men's game) and surprisingly
Rohan Bopanna.
Not many eyebrows have been raised at the decision to award Bopanna a
wild card given that he is a top doubles player (having reached the
final of the US Open men's doubles in August) and also won the
deciding fifth rubber in India's Davis Cup victory over Brazil,
upsetting then world no. 75 Ricardo Mello a few months ago in Chennai
itself. But scratching deeper might give one a different perspective.
Bopanna is currently the ninth highest ranked Indian on the ATP list
and excluding Davis Cup, he played a total of 7 singles events last
year, finishing with a 7-7 record on the tour, highlighted by
qualifying for the Halle grass court championships in June. Bopanna
started the 2010 ranked 83 in doubles and with the success that he has
had with Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, he is going to find it even tougher
this year to concentrate on singles. Given that and his age (at 30,
his best days as a singles player are probably behind him), and you
probably think that the third wild card could have been given to a
more deserving candidate.
India's #2 ranked player on the ATP rankings is Karan Rastogi, at 24
six years younger than Bopanna, and ranked 332 in the ATP rankings,
nearly 300 places above Bopanna. Rastogi finished 2010 with a 41-21
record and had missed 18 months in 2008-09 after undergoing back
surgery. He went from unranked in October 2009 to his current ranking
of 332, winning 2 ITF futures besides reaching the finals of three
others – and ended the year reaching back to back finals in the ITF
Futures in Nigeria winning the last of them.
Another overlooked candidate is 23 year old Vishnu Vardhan, currently
ranked 386 in the ATP rankings. Vardhan finished the year with a 37-19
record, having reached 2 ITF Futures finals in 2010 and 3 more semi
finals including one at the Uzbekistan Challenger.
Both Rastogi and Vardhan are better singles prospects and a wild card
into the main draw could have given them the same boost that it gave
Somdev a couple of years ago. Somdev ranked # 202 in January 2009
made maximum advantage of his wild card as he marched on to the final
that year and is today India's top player at 108, having peaked at #95
a few months ago. Hence, the decision to give this opportunity to a
doubles specialist seems surprising to say the least. Rastogi and
Vardhan both had to go to the qualifying draw where Rastogi lost in
the first round while Vardhan was beaten in the second round today
(you need to win 3 matches to qualify the main draw). The two will now
continue to grind the lower rungs of the world tennis circuit while
Bopanna will move to the main ATP tour pit stops to focus on his quest
for Grand Slam doubles glory. The players have their priorities
right. Unfortunately for them, the tournament organizers do not.
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Monday, December 20, 2010
MY FIRST TIME
A new experience can be extremely pleasurable, or extremely irritating, or somewhere in between, and you never know until you try it out. Almost everyone remembers their first kiss, their first salary check, the first time they fell in love and, of course, the first time they had sex. Saturday 18th December was going to be my first time.. and for the sake of posterity and my old age, I’ve decided to archive the experience in cyberspace.
Its Saturday 11-30 AM and I am waiting opposite Fashion Street for Mustafa & Shayamal who are the conduits for my first experience. I’m equal-part nervous and equal-part excited. At the age of 31 years and 4 months, I’m finally going to do it. I’ve done the cyber version before but this was going to the real thing. The butterflies in my stomach flap faster. I feel like I do when I go for a job interview. I hope I would be able to perform. Mustafa arrives and signs me in. We head to the designated venue. I'm wondering if he can make out I'm a novice. He introduces me to Shayamal. I thank him for arranging this. He says no worries and that I’d have to wait for a bit. There’s a foursome going on in front of me that I’m only too delighted to sit back and watch. I ask Mustafa if I can take some pictures and he says it should be ok. In front of me, Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna are playing a doubles set; Mahesh with 18 year old Shahbaaz Khan and Rohan with Purav Raja. I’m a few minutes away from doing my first live interview with a tennis player (make that players) - Mahesh and Rohan.
Let’s rewind to 24 hours ago. It’s a regular Friday morning at the bank. I’m multi-tasking; trying to wrap up work and planning the next couple of days. Which movie to watch, when to play tennis, how not to study for my exams in June - in short, my usual weekend. Subhash, the editor of Tennis India, calls and says he needs me to do him a favour. He's learnt that Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna, India’s top doubles players, are training in Mumbai and he would be grateful if I could meet them for a quick interview the next day. I think “Are you kidding me?” I say, “Sure, I’d love to.” In all the years, I’ve been a tennis writer (actually, in the 5 months that I’ve been a tennis writer), I’ve always dreamed of interviewing a tennis player. I recently completed one with a current top 3 player but that was via email. This was going to be the real thing.
The modalities are fixed. I am to meet Mustafa Ghouse (former India Davis Cupper) at 11-30 AM the next morning at Bombay Gymkhana. In between work, I try to figure out how to record an interview. Dictaphones are out of style but thanks to Google, I learn of digital voice recorders. Soon, I also learn that none of the major electronic chains in Mumbai stock them. I finally track one Sony dealer in Fort who has what I need. Unfortunately, he would be shut by the time I reach home tonight and opens shutters only at 11 am the next morning. Too close for my comfort I’m thinking but I’m not sure if I have any alternatives. On my way back home, I discover my phone has a voice recording facility. At dinner with my friend Ami (name changed to protect identity), I record our conversation to test my phone. We do an impromptu version of Koffee with Karan (India’s most famous celeb chat show). I ask her questions in rapid fire succession – “Pooja or Himali” – “Jay or Suvir” – “What would you do if you woke up one morning next to Jay” (the answers to those shall go with me to my grave). In between eating dinner, watching and sleeping through the new Tron movie, sleeping some more and my early morning jog on Saturday; I managed to list down 15 questions for the interview. Subhash sent me some that he had in mind too.
I reach Bombay Gym before the appointed time. I'm equal-part nervous and equal-part excited. Mustafa arrives shortly. I shake his hands (the same hands that played Davis Cup for India). He signs me in and we head to the practice courts. I'm wondering if he can make out that I'm a novice. He introduces me to Shayamal Vallabhjee, a mental coach and fellow writer for Tennis India. I thank him for arranging this. He says no worries and that I’d have to wait for a bit. I take a seat on the side of the baseline. I take my camera out and take some pictures of Rohan, who is receiving serve at the far end. I turn to take some of Mahesh as he tosses the ball to serve. He catches the ball mid-air and stares in my direction. I’m not sure if it was me or something else in the same line of his vision but it’s enough for me to put my camera away.
There’s a practice doubles set going on - competitive and light-hearted at the same time. Rohan looks fitter than when I saw him last year. Mahesh as always looks fit. There’s lots of big serving from the two. Rohan’s serve is fast indeed. There are some spectacular rallies and some breathtaking volleys. During a long exchange, Rohan takes a ball mid-air and swings a forehand drive that finds the back of his partner. Everyone is laughing. Not his partner, Purav. The ball’s left a mark on his back. Some moments later, Mahesh is not too happy with the number of people passing by on the side of the court and shouts, “Is this a garden or a gateway where people just walk in and out whenever they feel like?” A little later, he also indicates to one of the coaches watching them that he is not too happy with his backhand return. During the next change of ends, Rohan asks one of the markers for his bottle of water. The marker picks up the one nearest to him and hands it over to Rohan. Rohan’s not sure if this is his bottle and does not want to risk using someone else’s bottle. He sternly asks the marker if he is sure that this is his bottle. The marker immediately runs and gets him a new one. About 40 minutes later, the set comes to an end. The players take a short break for water. Some kids and their parents have gathered for a fitness camp with Shayamal and the coach Mahesh was talking to. They start with some fitness drills. All four players join the drills too - running on the courts in a particular sequence. I’m guessing that it could be anytime now. Shayamal calls me over and introduces me to Mahesh & Rohan. I shake their hands (the same hands that have played for India in the Davis Cup). I go through my list of questions and my phone’s voice recorder works like a charm. Both players answered all the questions I had without any hang-ups (You’ll have to wait for the January issue of Tennis India for the actual interview) and also agreed to pose for a picture – one of the two of them and one with me. I thanked them for taking the time out. I also went up to Shayamal who was busy with some of the kids on court and thanked him for arranging this. I leave Bombay Gym with a big smile on my face. I call Subhash to share the experience and then like an excited adolescent, text some of my closest friends about my latest conquest. The first time was smooth and painless. I can’t wait for the next. I’m thinking about who I’d like it to be. I’d love to do Sania. I find her intriguing. But the ultimate fantasy remains Steffi. It’s funny.. I recently re-read Andre’s autobiography “Open” and it’s uncanny how the two of us feel exactly the same way about the same person.. “I was thunderstruck, dazzled by her understated grace, her effortless beauty. She looked, somehow, as if she smelled good. Also, as if she was good, fundamentally, essentially, inherently good, brimming with a moral rectitude and a kind of dignity that doesn't exist anymore. I thought I saw, for half a second, a halo above her head.. It feels like I've been chasing her all my life, and now I'm literally chasing her.”
There’s definitely something about experiencing something new for the first time. Saturday 18th December was the first time I did a live interview with a tennis player. At the age of 31 years and 4 months, I’ve finally done it. And I shall never forget it.
For more of my articles, visit my Facebook page and LIKE it..
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Its Saturday 11-30 AM and I am waiting opposite Fashion Street for Mustafa & Shayamal who are the conduits for my first experience. I’m equal-part nervous and equal-part excited. At the age of 31 years and 4 months, I’m finally going to do it. I’ve done the cyber version before but this was going to the real thing. The butterflies in my stomach flap faster. I feel like I do when I go for a job interview. I hope I would be able to perform. Mustafa arrives and signs me in. We head to the designated venue. I'm wondering if he can make out I'm a novice. He introduces me to Shayamal. I thank him for arranging this. He says no worries and that I’d have to wait for a bit. There’s a foursome going on in front of me that I’m only too delighted to sit back and watch. I ask Mustafa if I can take some pictures and he says it should be ok. In front of me, Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna are playing a doubles set; Mahesh with 18 year old Shahbaaz Khan and Rohan with Purav Raja. I’m a few minutes away from doing my first live interview with a tennis player (make that players) - Mahesh and Rohan.
Let’s rewind to 24 hours ago. It’s a regular Friday morning at the bank. I’m multi-tasking; trying to wrap up work and planning the next couple of days. Which movie to watch, when to play tennis, how not to study for my exams in June - in short, my usual weekend. Subhash, the editor of Tennis India, calls and says he needs me to do him a favour. He's learnt that Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna, India’s top doubles players, are training in Mumbai and he would be grateful if I could meet them for a quick interview the next day. I think “Are you kidding me?” I say, “Sure, I’d love to.” In all the years, I’ve been a tennis writer (actually, in the 5 months that I’ve been a tennis writer), I’ve always dreamed of interviewing a tennis player. I recently completed one with a current top 3 player but that was via email. This was going to be the real thing.
The modalities are fixed. I am to meet Mustafa Ghouse (former India Davis Cupper) at 11-30 AM the next morning at Bombay Gymkhana. In between work, I try to figure out how to record an interview. Dictaphones are out of style but thanks to Google, I learn of digital voice recorders. Soon, I also learn that none of the major electronic chains in Mumbai stock them. I finally track one Sony dealer in Fort who has what I need. Unfortunately, he would be shut by the time I reach home tonight and opens shutters only at 11 am the next morning. Too close for my comfort I’m thinking but I’m not sure if I have any alternatives. On my way back home, I discover my phone has a voice recording facility. At dinner with my friend Ami (name changed to protect identity), I record our conversation to test my phone. We do an impromptu version of Koffee with Karan (India’s most famous celeb chat show). I ask her questions in rapid fire succession – “Pooja or Himali” – “Jay or Suvir” – “What would you do if you woke up one morning next to Jay” (the answers to those shall go with me to my grave). In between eating dinner, watching and sleeping through the new Tron movie, sleeping some more and my early morning jog on Saturday; I managed to list down 15 questions for the interview. Subhash sent me some that he had in mind too.
I reach Bombay Gym before the appointed time. I'm equal-part nervous and equal-part excited. Mustafa arrives shortly. I shake his hands (the same hands that played Davis Cup for India). He signs me in and we head to the practice courts. I'm wondering if he can make out that I'm a novice. He introduces me to Shayamal Vallabhjee, a mental coach and fellow writer for Tennis India. I thank him for arranging this. He says no worries and that I’d have to wait for a bit. I take a seat on the side of the baseline. I take my camera out and take some pictures of Rohan, who is receiving serve at the far end. I turn to take some of Mahesh as he tosses the ball to serve. He catches the ball mid-air and stares in my direction. I’m not sure if it was me or something else in the same line of his vision but it’s enough for me to put my camera away.
There’s a practice doubles set going on - competitive and light-hearted at the same time. Rohan looks fitter than when I saw him last year. Mahesh as always looks fit. There’s lots of big serving from the two. Rohan’s serve is fast indeed. There are some spectacular rallies and some breathtaking volleys. During a long exchange, Rohan takes a ball mid-air and swings a forehand drive that finds the back of his partner. Everyone is laughing. Not his partner, Purav. The ball’s left a mark on his back. Some moments later, Mahesh is not too happy with the number of people passing by on the side of the court and shouts, “Is this a garden or a gateway where people just walk in and out whenever they feel like?” A little later, he also indicates to one of the coaches watching them that he is not too happy with his backhand return. During the next change of ends, Rohan asks one of the markers for his bottle of water. The marker picks up the one nearest to him and hands it over to Rohan. Rohan’s not sure if this is his bottle and does not want to risk using someone else’s bottle. He sternly asks the marker if he is sure that this is his bottle. The marker immediately runs and gets him a new one. About 40 minutes later, the set comes to an end. The players take a short break for water. Some kids and their parents have gathered for a fitness camp with Shayamal and the coach Mahesh was talking to. They start with some fitness drills. All four players join the drills too - running on the courts in a particular sequence. I’m guessing that it could be anytime now. Shayamal calls me over and introduces me to Mahesh & Rohan. I shake their hands (the same hands that have played for India in the Davis Cup). I go through my list of questions and my phone’s voice recorder works like a charm. Both players answered all the questions I had without any hang-ups (You’ll have to wait for the January issue of Tennis India for the actual interview) and also agreed to pose for a picture – one of the two of them and one with me. I thanked them for taking the time out. I also went up to Shayamal who was busy with some of the kids on court and thanked him for arranging this. I leave Bombay Gym with a big smile on my face. I call Subhash to share the experience and then like an excited adolescent, text some of my closest friends about my latest conquest. The first time was smooth and painless. I can’t wait for the next. I’m thinking about who I’d like it to be. I’d love to do Sania. I find her intriguing. But the ultimate fantasy remains Steffi. It’s funny.. I recently re-read Andre’s autobiography “Open” and it’s uncanny how the two of us feel exactly the same way about the same person.. “I was thunderstruck, dazzled by her understated grace, her effortless beauty. She looked, somehow, as if she smelled good. Also, as if she was good, fundamentally, essentially, inherently good, brimming with a moral rectitude and a kind of dignity that doesn't exist anymore. I thought I saw, for half a second, a halo above her head.. It feels like I've been chasing her all my life, and now I'm literally chasing her.”
There’s definitely something about experiencing something new for the first time. Saturday 18th December was the first time I did a live interview with a tennis player. At the age of 31 years and 4 months, I’ve finally done it. And I shall never forget it.
For more of my articles, visit my Facebook page and LIKE it..
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Haresh-Ramchandanis-Tennis-Chronicles/106612526073357
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Life on the Road - Part II
So by the time we check out of Hotel Pearl, its already 8-40 am. We decide to head straight to Solaris Club and check out our schedules. A few wrong turns notwithstanding, we reach the club by 9-10. Its a pretty nice club with 5 courts and they also have badmintion, squash, TT and swimming facilities. A quick look at the draw and we don't see our names. My heart sinks. Did the guy we send to sign us in to the event on Friday afternoon goof-up??
A talk with the tournament reps allay our fears. Ashutosh Goel is in the draw as Ashutosh Goid and Haresh Ramchandani is in the draw as Harsh Rameshwari. Ashu's match is scheduled for 10-30 am against A. Venkatesh Prasad, who we later found out is a 17 year old from Hyderabad. Mine is scheduled for 12-45 pm at another club - Deccan Gymkhana against Ishan Singh. We have more than an hour for his match so we decide to eat some omelette sandwiches and look at some of the other matches. One of the players particpating is hearing impaired - I wonder whether not being able to hear the sound of the ball is a disadvantage to him. But I guess he must have gotten used to it. His infectious spirit is backed by an efficeint game - good serve, good groundstrokes. Another player who looks almost 40 years old is playing some teenager in a close battle with a lot of close and contentious line calls (at this level, you make your own calls).
Ashu's match is called at 10-40 and as he warms up, Ashu dissects his opponents game - good topspin on his groundstrokes and decent serve. He realises he is in for a tough time. As the match begins, Prasad unleashes a bigger serve than what he showed during the warm up. Ashu himself throws in a few double faults and does not bring his A-game to the court. Credit for that also goes to his opponent who used his serve and forehand to great effect. Prasad wins 7-0.
As we head to Deccan Gymkhana for my match, I ask Ashu if the experience was worth it, and if he would be keen to do this again for the Pune AITA events in December, He replies a resounding yes. There's the spirit he is so well-known for.
We reach Deccan Gymkhana by 12 noon. I need to go to the loo again (my third trip since this morning). At around 12-40 my match is called against Ishan Singh - who looks like another 17 year old. As I warm up with him, I realise he is left-handed and plays with a lot of topspin. I know it will be tough but I always fancy my chances no matter who my opponent is.
I win the toss, elect to serve and quickly throw in three double faults in the first game and lose my serve. Ishan returns the favour and also throws in a couple of double faults as I break him back. I hold my serve for 2-1 and win a couple of rallies when I manage to keep the ball in play and Ishan makes an error. However, the spin on his left handed serve is too muh for me. I am unable to get many of them back and also not able to hold my own serve. Ishan wins the next six games to complete a 7-2 victory.
Time to pack our bags. This trip was not what either Ashu or I expected. Ashu hoped to put a better show than losing 0-7 and I hoped to win atleast one match. But there's not much either of us can do about it now. Shower at the club and a good lunch at Malaka Spice in Koregan Park is just complete and we will hit the road to Bombay in a couple of hours. Our journey as wannabe tennis players will take a break for a while but its back to the courts at MSLTA tomorrow morning.
A talk with the tournament reps allay our fears. Ashutosh Goel is in the draw as Ashutosh Goid and Haresh Ramchandani is in the draw as Harsh Rameshwari. Ashu's match is scheduled for 10-30 am against A. Venkatesh Prasad, who we later found out is a 17 year old from Hyderabad. Mine is scheduled for 12-45 pm at another club - Deccan Gymkhana against Ishan Singh. We have more than an hour for his match so we decide to eat some omelette sandwiches and look at some of the other matches. One of the players particpating is hearing impaired - I wonder whether not being able to hear the sound of the ball is a disadvantage to him. But I guess he must have gotten used to it. His infectious spirit is backed by an efficeint game - good serve, good groundstrokes. Another player who looks almost 40 years old is playing some teenager in a close battle with a lot of close and contentious line calls (at this level, you make your own calls).
Ashu's match is called at 10-40 and as he warms up, Ashu dissects his opponents game - good topspin on his groundstrokes and decent serve. He realises he is in for a tough time. As the match begins, Prasad unleashes a bigger serve than what he showed during the warm up. Ashu himself throws in a few double faults and does not bring his A-game to the court. Credit for that also goes to his opponent who used his serve and forehand to great effect. Prasad wins 7-0.
As we head to Deccan Gymkhana for my match, I ask Ashu if the experience was worth it, and if he would be keen to do this again for the Pune AITA events in December, He replies a resounding yes. There's the spirit he is so well-known for.
We reach Deccan Gymkhana by 12 noon. I need to go to the loo again (my third trip since this morning). At around 12-40 my match is called against Ishan Singh - who looks like another 17 year old. As I warm up with him, I realise he is left-handed and plays with a lot of topspin. I know it will be tough but I always fancy my chances no matter who my opponent is.
I win the toss, elect to serve and quickly throw in three double faults in the first game and lose my serve. Ishan returns the favour and also throws in a couple of double faults as I break him back. I hold my serve for 2-1 and win a couple of rallies when I manage to keep the ball in play and Ishan makes an error. However, the spin on his left handed serve is too muh for me. I am unable to get many of them back and also not able to hold my own serve. Ishan wins the next six games to complete a 7-2 victory.
Time to pack our bags. This trip was not what either Ashu or I expected. Ashu hoped to put a better show than losing 0-7 and I hoped to win atleast one match. But there's not much either of us can do about it now. Shower at the club and a good lunch at Malaka Spice in Koregan Park is just complete and we will hit the road to Bombay in a couple of hours. Our journey as wannabe tennis players will take a break for a while but its back to the courts at MSLTA tomorrow morning.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Life on the Road - Part 1
Friday evening 7 pm and I set off once again; chasing another dream - qualifying for an AITA event. This time I have company - my friend Ashutosh has decided to get a taste of the pro tennis circuit himself. We reach Pune three and a half hours later and are not too pleased when we reach our pit-stop for the night - Hotel Pearl on Junglee Maharaj Road. There don't seem to be many people in the hotel but there are plenty in the adjacent beer bar.
We decide to check out the room - our suite (if you can call it that). The room is decent - the extra single bed in the hall is not. Thankfully, the AC and the TV work fine but Ashu is not too happy about the bathroom.
We decide to go grab a bite somewhere around. Ashu is in the mood for pizza. We see a Pizza Hut but he thinks there may be a Papa John's around. We drive around for a bit. No sign of Papa John so we drive back to Pizza Hut. Unfortunately for Ashu, the shutters are down when we reach.
Driving around again, we spot a Smokin Joe's. Fortunately, the shutters are up. Unfortunately, we are past their last order time. A quick entry to China Gate next door is followed by an even quicker exit (Ashu does not find the menu enticing). Some more driving around and we finally decide to dine at Shiv Sagar. Fortunately for Ashu and me, they are still taking orders. Pav Bhaji and Musambi juice for myself; Paneer Pizza and Fresh Lime for Ashu. The Pav Bhaji is pretty decent. Unfortunately for Ashu, the waiter comes back and says no pizzas available. Unable to take any more, Ashu decides to skip dinner. We head to Naturals for dessert and then back to our room.
The room is pretty chilled now since we left the AC on. Federer is on Ten Sports playing Melzer at the Paris Masters. Ashu decides to watch a bit for inspiration while I head straight to bed.
At 5-30 am my eyes open. I try to go back to sleep but can't. One hour of tossing and turning in bed later, I decide sleeping is a lost cause. I wake up, brush my teeth and check out the scores from the Paris Masters online. Federer won but Murray lost.
We need to be at the Solaris Club at 9 am which is still a few hours away. Gmail, Hotmail, Facebook, and Twitter later, I decide to write this blog. Breakfast at the hotel starts only at 8-30 am which means we will check out of our hotel and grab a bite on our way to the club. Something tells me we might be looking for pizza joints again.
We decide to check out the room - our suite (if you can call it that). The room is decent - the extra single bed in the hall is not. Thankfully, the AC and the TV work fine but Ashu is not too happy about the bathroom.
We decide to go grab a bite somewhere around. Ashu is in the mood for pizza. We see a Pizza Hut but he thinks there may be a Papa John's around. We drive around for a bit. No sign of Papa John so we drive back to Pizza Hut. Unfortunately for Ashu, the shutters are down when we reach.
Driving around again, we spot a Smokin Joe's. Fortunately, the shutters are up. Unfortunately, we are past their last order time. A quick entry to China Gate next door is followed by an even quicker exit (Ashu does not find the menu enticing). Some more driving around and we finally decide to dine at Shiv Sagar. Fortunately for Ashu and me, they are still taking orders. Pav Bhaji and Musambi juice for myself; Paneer Pizza and Fresh Lime for Ashu. The Pav Bhaji is pretty decent. Unfortunately for Ashu, the waiter comes back and says no pizzas available. Unable to take any more, Ashu decides to skip dinner. We head to Naturals for dessert and then back to our room.
The room is pretty chilled now since we left the AC on. Federer is on Ten Sports playing Melzer at the Paris Masters. Ashu decides to watch a bit for inspiration while I head straight to bed.
At 5-30 am my eyes open. I try to go back to sleep but can't. One hour of tossing and turning in bed later, I decide sleeping is a lost cause. I wake up, brush my teeth and check out the scores from the Paris Masters online. Federer won but Murray lost.
We need to be at the Solaris Club at 9 am which is still a few hours away. Gmail, Hotmail, Facebook, and Twitter later, I decide to write this blog. Breakfast at the hotel starts only at 8-30 am which means we will check out of our hotel and grab a bite on our way to the club. Something tells me we might be looking for pizza joints again.
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