Tennis: India will look to ride the wave

If you do happen to switch on your TV sets on October 10 and witness Rohan Bopanna perched atop Leander Paes, chances are that you will think you’re watching a repeat telecast of India’s recent Davis Cup triumph over Brazil. For that historic victory at the SDAT Nungambakkam Stadium in Chennai could well inspire tennis stars to a few podium finishes at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in New Delhi. The sport is all set to make its debut at the quadrennial showpiece event and India’s prospects seem as sharp as Bopanna’s first serve.

Coach Jaidip Mukherjea is pretty upbeat. “I’m extremely happy with the players’ form and confidence levels. Yes, the Davis Cup win has come at the right time. As far as my calculation goes, we must win at least three gold medals along with a silver and maybe a bronze,” the former Davis Cupper says.

With 15 medals on offer (five gold, five silver and five bronze) across five categories (men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles), the hosts are expected to capture at least six of them. The good news is that the financial dispute between players and AITA, the game’s governing body in India, seems to have been resolved. The players are now focussed on just one thing — winning.
Somdev Devvarman, the flag-bearer and face of Indian singles tennis on the world stage, is expected to come out on top in the men’s singles event.

Interestingly, there are no Commonwealth players in the top 100, or till 117 (Devvarman’s rank), on the ATP singles rankings list. That should give a fair chance for Devvarman to strike gold.
Devvarman, too, is hopeful of a good show. “It’s great to come out with a good performance in the Davis Cup and even better to come out with a win for the country. I’m hoping I can bring the same form in the CWG,” he said.

“Is it our fault that the top players are not coming?” Mukherjea asks, before adding confidently, “We’re ready to play anyone.” And he doesn’t rule out a Devvarman-Bopanna showdown. “Don’t underestimate Bopanna’s singles prowess. Having played doubles over the years, Bopanna is a good serve-and-volley player. I wouldn’t be surprised if he meets Devvarman in the final. That would be great,” he says.

Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have enthralled us with many a chest-bumping wins over the years and they will be expected to gallop to the podium in New Delhi as well. Whatever may be the reason for them going their separate ways on the Tour, they have never left any stone unturned to join hands when it comes to representing India.

With a whopping 23 Grand Slam titles between them, Lee-Hesh could face little competition. The veteran duo could be put to the test by none other than Devvarman-Bopanna. “That’s another possible showdown,” Mukherjea says. He is, however, quick to realise that Qureshi and Aqeel Khan are also capable of putting up a decent show.

The women’s team, however, can’t boast of such riches. Sania Mirza is the only household name around, and given that her singles form has plummeted like the coffers of a war-ravaged nation, it would be a surprise if she does strike gold in singles.

There is no big name to challenge her but Sania has developed a habit of losing to unknown players. A medal at the Games would give a huge fillip to her struggling career. “We want Sania to play only singles and mixed doubles. Let her focus on just two events. She can do wonders and we all know that,” Mukherjea says.

However, Sania and Paes are favourites in mixed doubles. Pooja Venkatesh is India’s second singles player, while Nirupama Sanjeev, who has come out of retirement, is set to partner Bopanna. Venkatesh will join hands with Rushmi Chakravarty in doubles.

“I reckon Devvarman, Lee-Hesh and Lee-Mirza will win gold,” Mukherjea says. “I am also pinning my hopes on Mirza to win us a medal,” Mukherjea adds.