Tennis: India

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This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content.

The economics of an Indian tennis player

Ramkumar Ramanathan, for example

akshay sawai, The economics of an Indian tennis player on the rise, Feb 12, 2017: The Times of India

Ramkumar Ramanathan was instrumental in India's Davis Cup win recently. His annual expenses add up to Rs 50 lakh approximately. But finding monetary support is not easy in a sport that depends on government funding, and in a country where corporations are reluctant to spend on non-cricket sport

Ramkumar Ramanathan was tossed in the air by teammates after he won India the Davis Cup tie against New Zealand last weekend in Pune. A few hours later, the 22-year-old was airborne again, this time on a flight to San Francisco for a tournament. “I was to fly out later but got a wild card entry into the tournament. So, I booked a fresh ticket and left,“ Ramkumar says from San Francisco. “There was no celebration as such. We just had a team dinner.“

That is the life of a tennis player, whether you are Ramkumar or Roger. But Roger is rich.Ramkumar, ranked no. 264 in the world, has earned a modest $201,560 (approximately 1.35 crore) after some six years on circuit.That's probably Roger's private jet bi l l for a month. The amount doesn't look too bad, but it is not much once travel costs and coaching fees are factored in.

Ramkumar says, “One of the industry norms for a coach is 1,000 a week as fees, travel and stay expenses and 10-15 per cent of the prize money. But it varies depending upon the scale of the tournament.“

Last year, Ramkumar played over 20 tournaments, from the qualifiers of big shows li ke Wimbledon and F rench Open to small er events i n places like Ho Chi Minh City, Samarkand and podunk towns i n A mer ic a . I f he had a coach w it h h i m , he'd have paid $25,000 in fees. He made nearly $78,000 in prize money last year, of which ab out $ 8 , 0 0 0 wou ld have been the coach's cut. In all, he'd be paying the coach about $33,000 ( 22 lakh plus). Add travel and stay expenses. “ 50 lakh annually would be a good estimate of my expenses,“ Ramkumar says.

Joint effort

So far, Ramkumar has been financed, at various points, by his father, his own earnings, the International Management Group (IMG) and the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA).The TNTA's vice-president is Karti Chidambaram, a loquacious tennis buff and the son of P Chidambaram, the former finance minister of India. (Karti once said Ramkumar wasn't easy to get along with. Asked about the comment, he tells , “I said that but that's his personality. We are not looking for a son-inlaw. We are looking for a player.“) K a r t i fe el s pl ayer s l i ke Ramkumar and Yuki Bhambri, who have potential, deserve funding of around $30,000 (about Rs 20 lakh) a year.

“I t hi n k players li ke Ramkumar or Yuki should be given a subsidy of about $30,000,“ he says. “But I don't believe a player must be completely funded. There must be some pain for him as well.If it's all paid, then it may be taken for granted.“

T h e T N TA h a s b a c k e d Ramkumar for nearly eight years, since the time he was about 14. He has been training at the Sanchez-Casal Academy in Barcelona since 2010-11. “One year, he was at the academy for about 11 months,“ Karti says.“TNTA probably spent $ 30,000 on him that time.“

Ramkumar acknowledges the association's support. “I'm grateful to them,“ he says.

Asked how much the TNTA spends on Ramkumar now, Karti says, “It is need based. We also have performance-based incentives for him.“

'Scope for improvement

Karti feels that while Ramkumar's Davis Cup performance was cred itable, it came against soft opposition. At 22, he shou ld have been in the top-150.

“It's a bit disappointing that he's 264,“ Karti says. “He needs to work on his fitness and his backhand. But the good thing about him is that he has a big forehand, serve and is a fighter who thrives on the big stage. He is not afraid of reputations. When India played Spain in the Davis Cup, he played Feliciano Lopez as a peer (he lost in four sets).“

AITA's criticism

In the recent past , Somdev Devvarman a nd Bh a mbr i h ave lambasted the All India Tennis A ssociation (A I TA) .Karti, too, said the federation had failed in supporting players.He says that India can easily afford to back its players, but the AITA hasn't shown the will.

“You need to spend about 3-4 crore a year on about six players. It's doable,“ Karti says. “Yuki was a huge opportunity wasted. He was the world no. 1 junior and junior Australian Open champion. Any country with half a tennis federation would call him and say `Hire whichever coach you want and we will pay for him'.“

AITA responds

To a question on the AITA's contribution to Ramkumar's career, Hironmoy Chatterjee, hon. secretary general, said the federation had recommended him for government funding.

“Ramkumar and some other Indian players received some government funding basis our recommendation,“ Chatterjee says. “And this year we are confident of more funds from the government.“

Another official, requesting anonymity, said the AITA's main job was to create infrastructure and host tournaments. He said, “We had over 20 tournaments in India in 2015, which helped the likes of Ramkumar develop.“

Adelaide International

2022: Bopanna- Ramkumar win doubles title 

K Kumaraswamy, January 9, 2022: The Times of India

For a scratch combination playing their first ever tournament together, Rohan Bopanna and Ramkumar Ramanathan made a spectacular debut on the ATP Tour, winning the Adelaide International doubles title.

The Indian combination defeated the seasoned duo of Brazilian Marcelo Melo and Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-6 (6), 6-1 in an hour and 22 minutes in the final of the $417,000 hard-court event.

Bopanna and Ramkumar had just played one match before going into the tournament — during the Davis Cup tie against Finland last year, which they lost.

Dodig and Melo have 51 titles between them — both have two Grand Slam doubles trophies each to their names — and more than $15 million in combined career prize money.

For the Indians, the partnership came by chance. France's Edouard Roger-Vasselin, Bopanna's partner for the season, withdrew for the week as he got picked for the ATP Cup.

The Indian had boarded the flight to Melbourne from Dubai when he received a message from his partner.

Luckily for the 41-year-old Bangalorean, his compatriot was on the same flight, headed for the Australian Open qualifying.

"I requested him if he wanted to come to Adelaide and play a week of doubles. I think it worked out well. Couldn't have asked for a better week for both of us," Bopanna said after the victory.

It was Bopanna's fifth title playing with a countryman — two with Mahesh Bhupathi and one each with Divij Sharan and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan — and his 20th overall.

"Winning with an Indian is always special. We are just a handful of players playing tennis from the country, trying to get ourselves competing at the best tournaments across the globe. Anytime I play with somebody from India, it's really, really special," he said. The title will be more significant for Ramkumar.

"I don't think we lost serve all week, all of the tournament," said the 27-year-old from Chennai, who ended up playing six matches, including the one in singles qualifying.

Ramkumar was his usual dominant self with his serve, which his partner found out to stunning effect after being hit on the ear early on in the match.

"I really felt Ram's serve today in my ear, so I know how hard it comes through," Bopanna quipped.

ATP 100 Challenger

2024, Helibronn

A

Nagal enters semifinal: Sumit Nagal cruised to the semifinal of the ATP 100 Challenger event, winning his quarterfinal match against Russia’s Ivan Gakhov 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) in 82 minutes. Nagal, currently placed 95th in the world, would like to earn as many ranking points possible to give himself the chance of qualifying for the singles event at the Paris Olympics.

B

June 9, 2024: The Times of India

Sumit Nagal entered the final of the ATP Challenger 100 event in Helibronn, Germany, on Saturday, boosting his chances of getting a direct entry into the Paris Olympics. The Indian ace defeated Luca van Assche of France 6-2, 7-6 (5) in just over two hours in the semifinal of the 120,000-euro clay-court tournament.


Nagal rises to 88 in live world rankings, and winning the title would likely push him past his career-high 80. In that scenario, with entries capped at four per nation each in men’s and women’s singles, Nagal would be assured of making the cut of 56 direct acceptances in the 64-player draws. 
TNN

C

Nagal wins Challenger title

June 10, 2024: The Times of India

Helibronn: Sumit Nagal virtually sealed his spot in the Paris Olympics tennis competition by winning the 120,000-euro ATP Challenger men’s title in Helibronn, Germany.

Third seed Nagal overcame Alexander Ritschard of Switzerland 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-3 in two hours and 41 minutes in the final of the clay-court tournament.


The 100 ranking points the Indian gained from his sixth

Challenger crown saw him climb to a career-best ranking of 77 on the ATP Tour and confirm his direct entry in the singles event for Paris.


The singles draws will feature 64 players with the first 56 reserved from the best ranked players.


As per ITF regulations, each nation can pick six players each in the men’s and women’s sections w ith four entries allowed in singles and two in doubles.


With countries like Australia, Spain and Italy featuring more than four players in the top-100, Nagal’s entry is a matter of official announcement.

ATP 250 men’s event

1996-2023

June 10, 2023: The Times of India

Pune : In a major blow to Indian tennis, the ATP 250 men’s tennis event that India had hosted for 27 editions has been moved to Hong Kong, reports K Kumaraswamy. The tournament, first held in 1996 in New Delhi, had been taking place in Pune since 2018 under the banner Tata Open Maharashtra. Prior to that, Chennai was its home for 21 years. 
The five-year deal between IMG (rights holder for the event held in ATP calendar’s first week), Maharashtra government and the state tennis body ended with the conclusion of the 2023 edition.


It is learnt that IMG’s demands were “unviable” — $ 1 million (Rs 8. 3 crore) for hosting rights (previous fee was Rs 3. 5 crore) and $700,000 (Rs. 5. 8 crore) for prize money, besides bearing the operating costs, which could be Rs 5 crore. On top of it, the television, digital and other commercial rights would rest with IMG.

Australian Open

2023

Sania- Bopanna in mixed doubles final

January 26, 2023: The Times of India

Sania-Bopanna in mixed doubles final of Aus Open

Sania Mirza is eyeing a fairytale finish to her career as she and Rohan Bopanna beat Desirae Krawczyk and Neal Skupski to enter the Australian Open mixed doubles final.

2024

A: Sumit Stuns Bublik

[From the archives, January 17, 2024: The Times of India]

Unfancied Sumit Stuns Bublik To Become Second Indian Since 1989 To Beat A Seeded Player In Grand Slam Singles; To Face China’s Shang In Round 2

Prajwal.Hegde@timesgroup.com


Melbourne : The fight in Sumit Nagal resonates with the beat of his heart, it’s the song on his lip and the spring in his step. It’s the air he breathes.


If a player doesn’t have a weapon in tennis, he has nothing. Ask the Australian Open’s 31st seed Alexander Bublik, who was casually dropping 200-plus kmph bombs on Court No. 6. Nagal’s whiplash forehand is sharp and he’s quick around the court, but it is that fight in him — an amalgam of stubborn steel, calculated cunning and the volition to run that extra mile — that makes him tough to close out.


Nagal hails from the town of Jhajjar in Haryana, a place renowned in history for the valour of its people, so much so that a large percentage of the youth in the region join the Army.


“You can talk about my spirit,” the 26-year-old said, “but it’s also true that I’m not a very tall guy, so every game is important, every point becomes important. If I get a small chance to put pressure on a big server like Sascha (Bublik) I should take it. He can play incredible tennis for 15 minutes and for the next 15 he can give you some free points, because of which you fight for every point.”


Nagal, ranked 137, who came through the qualifiers here without dropping a set, knocked out the Kazakh 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (5) in two hours and 37 minutes.
Melbourne Park’s Court No. 6, which has a bar attached, was the stage of the clash. The court itself is sandwiched by cocktail downing fans on one side and a regular tennis crowd on the other. The atmosphere was party-like.


In the opening game of the match, Bublik, ranked 27, went ahead 40-15. At that point, a good section of the crowd backed the eccentric pro, with one particular fan in the bar shouting ‘This is how we do it, Sumit’ after every serve Bublik sent down.


The Indian responded with a break which he constructed shot by shot, running the extra mile, stretching, reaching, retreating before advancing in blazing hot conditions. That was enough of a trigger to the Indians in the crowd, who weighed in behind their player. They started in English and finished in Hindi.


Bublik, some seven inches taller than Nagal, serving an average of 30-40 kmph faster than his opponent, never stopped talking — to the crowd, to his corner, to himself. Nagal was controlled, playing well within himself, using the conditions, and quietly strumming Bublik’s volatile strings.


“There are two perspectives here,” Nagal said of the setting. “If you are not enjoying being on the tennis court, it will get tougher. This set up was new to both of us. It was a weird experience. For me it worked well, but I understand his point of view.”



Bhambri bows out India’s Yuki Bhambri and Dutchman Robin Haase crashed out of the first round of the men’s doubles, falling 6-1, 6-7 (8), 6-7 (7) to Colombia’s Nicolas Barrientos and Brazil’s Rafael Matos in a 2-hour 26-minute outing. The Indo-Dutch pair came out on top in all columns, only that they couldn’t throw themselves across the line on the day.

B

The contrast in the Indo-Chinese contest

TIMES IN MELBOURNE

Chinese Teen Shang, Backed By Game & System, Ends Nagal’s Run

Prajwal.Hegde@timesgroup.com


China’s 18-year-old Juncheng Shang beat the India No.1 Sumit Nagal 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 in the second round of the Australian Open, a near three-hour match that showcased the seasons —going from hot to windy to chilly.


Nagal, once a promising 21-yearold, who took a set off Roger Feder er in a night match on Arthur Ashe stadium, is now 26 and working his way back from a hip surgery.


The Indian went under the knife in Germany in the fall of 2021. In the nine months that followed—surgery and repair, he ran up bills of INR 80,000,00 (eighty lakhs). It took Nagal another year to earn half of what he had earned before he stopped for surgery.


Unlike Shang on Thursday, Nagal only had his coach Sascha Nansel in his corner on Court 13. He wanted his trainer Milos Galecic to travel with him to Australia, but couldn’t afford it. Unlike China, India doesn’t have a single ATP Tour level event at home, so wildcards are distant dreams. Nagal, without support from corporates and the federation, is on his own.


BOPS-EBDEN PAIR SURVIVES OPENER

Prajwal.Hegde@timesgroup.com

Melbourne : Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Edben, the No. 2 seeds, started slowly, trailing by a double break. At 0-5, the first set looked done, but they came back strongly to move past wildcard entrants James Duckworth and Marc Polmans in the first round here.


The Indo-Aussie pairing scored a memorable 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (2) win in which they played two outstanding tie-breaks in their tournament opener that lasted two hours and nine minutes.


The all-Indian pairing of Anirudh Chandrasekar and 37-year Vijay Sunder Prashanth, wildcard entrants, went down 3-6, 4-6 to the Hungarian pair of Marton Fucsovics and Fabian Maroszan in their opener.

Bangkok Open

2023

January 15, 2023: The Times of India

Indian pair of Yuki-Saki wins Bangkok Open Challenger title Nonthaburi (Thailand):

The top-seeded Indian team of Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni came from behind to win the Bangkok Open title, their sixth together on the ATP Challenger Tour, as they beat Christopher Rungkat and Akira Santillan. Playing their seventh final together, the Indians beat the Indonesian-Australian combo 2-6 7-6(7) 14-12 in an exciting and close final, that lasted one hour and 50 minutes. Yuki and Saketh, who joined forces last year, made six Challenger finals and won five of them between April and October last year.

Beijing Open

2024

Sep 25, 2024: The Times of India


 Nagal loses in Beijing Open qualifying round:

Sumit Nagal lost to sixth-seeded Pavel Kotov of Russia in the opening match of the Beijing Open qualifying round. Nagal lost 2-6 6-7 to the world number 63 Russian. PTI

Bhavna Memorial ITF Tournament

History, 2002-18

Mohd Dilshad, Muzaffarnagar ITF event is tribute to a daughter, November 12, 2018: The Times of India

An International Tennis Federation women’s pro circuit tournament in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar with a prize money of US$ 25,000 may sound unreal. But the week-long tournament, now in its seventh edition and drawing several ranked players from across the world, has been here since 2002. The story behind the feat of bringing an international event to the backyard of UP’s wild west is tragic, yet inspiring.

Bhavna, a chirpy 13-yearold student at Welham Girls’ School in Dehradun, died in a terrible road accident in 2001 while she was on her way back to her school after a short vacation at her home in Muzaffarnagar. One thing that her father Alok Swarup, a 56-year-old local businessman whose family deals into real estate, paper mills, flexible packaging and hospitality, could never forget was her passion for tennis. “She was a budding player and was doing quite well in school,” he said.

Along with a group of friends, and support of his family, he started the Bhavna Memorial ITF Tournament in 2002. Sania Mirza was the chief guest here in 2008.

This year, women players from more than a dozen countries, including Japan, Australia, Germany, England, France etc., are participating. The week-long event opens on Sunday.

The nods of All India Tennis Association and ITF were not easy to come by, but Swarup had to do this for her daughter’s memory.

“I feel closer to her during the event. And that’s good enough reason for me to continue this,” he said.

The money is well spent though. The grass court built here in 1934 is one of the best in the country and the one the players can vouch for.

Chengdu Open

2024

Sep 25, 2024: The Times of India

New Delhi : India’s Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and his partner Vijay Sundar Prashanth clinched their maiden ATP title together, winning the Hangzhou Open men’s doubles event, while Yuki Bhambri and his French partner Albano Olivetti finished runners-up at Chengdu Open.

Jeevan and Vijay scripted a remarkable comeback to defeat Germans Constantin Frantzen and Hendrik Jebens 4-6, 7-6(5), 10-7 in a one hour and 49 minutes battle.


Yuki misses a third: Yuki and his French partner Olivetti narrowly missed out on a third title this year, losing 4-6, 6-4, (4-10) to the top-seeded French pair Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul in a tense final at the Chengdu Open. Both teams battle hard, with Bhambri and Olivetti winning the second set to push the encounter to a tie-break before falling short in the final moments.

Davis Cup

India vs. Pakistan: 1962- 2006

India vs. Pakistan in the Davis Cup: 1962- 2006
From: Prajwal Hegde, August 15, 2019: The Times of India

See graphic, ‘India vs. Pakistan in the Davis Cup: 1962- 2006'

1964: India beat Pakistan 4:0

Prajwal Hegde, August 15, 2019: The Times of India

The last tango: Friday the 13th. On that supposedly inauspicious date, back in 1964, India kicked off the second of her two away ties against Pakistan in Lahore.

A comparatively light-weight side led by the charismatic Premjit Lall came away with a 4-0 win in friendly conditions in 1964. Lall, the playing captain, along with Akhtar Ali and Shiv Prakash Misra, were the three-man, no-frills team for India. No coach, no physio, much less a masseur. At a time when everything was in short supply, their baggage too weighed next to nothing. Lall, who passed away over a decade ago, when a little short of his 70th birthday, wore different hats that weekend – coach, captain and player. The Kolkatan was handed the reins when Ramanathan Krishnan, ranked as high as No. 6 in the world at his peak, and the other Kolkatan, Jaideep Mukerjea, pulled out with injuries. Akhtar, whose play revolved around an adventurous use of the court, put up his hand for selection when he won a pre-tie tournament in Jaipur. “A lot of foreigners played in India those days,” Akhtar, 80, tells TOI from Kolkata. “In Krishnan, Mukerjea and Lall, we had very good players. I was playing good too. The competition in our tournaments was strong. The win in Jaipur ensured my selection to the squad. I was the in-form player in the side, it gave me a lot of confidence. Still, I was nervous; playing for your country is different from playing any other tournament.”

They travelled light those days, compact kit bags and few necessities. “Each of us had two wooden rackets, one that we were playing with, and a spare one. The brand I used was Slazenger. I had two sets of match gear, shorts and tees,” he said. Akhtar had got them at Wimbledon the previous year, when he had qualified for the main draw. “It was Fred Perry, white,” he tells you with quiet pride.

Misra, who went on to accumulate a 13-1 win-loss record in singles in Cup play, was featuring in just his second tie at the time. The youngest of the trio, he had used his Dunlop stick with precision to win both his matches against Ceylon in his debut outing.

Akhtar, who twice qualified for Wimbledon, recalled that the team arrived in Lahore a couple of days before the tie. “I can’t remember the exact day, it was a long time ago, but we were there early. We had a few practices on the grass before the start,” he says.

“As we were without Krishnan and Mukerjea, the hosts thought they could win the tie. Krishnan and Premjit had taken India to an emphatic win only two years earlier in Lahore. I remember there was a grand pre-tie dinner at the Lahore Club, the crowd was big. They were very confident. Their best player (Munir Pirzada) had beaten me earlier in the year, they thought they’d beat Akhtar and win the tie,” the Kolkatan recalls.

“Many people told Premjit not to play me in the singles, but he didn’t listen to them. I’m glad I didn’t disappoint him, I played the best tennis of my life, won all my matches. “The association didn’t give us much those days. We got blue blazers, I don’t think we got anything else. We were also given a small amount of money as daily allowance. I think it was 20 Rupees. That was a lot of money in that time. But for us, it was bigger to play for the country,” Akhtar emphasises. “I didn’t play competitively for much longer after that tie. I started coaching.”

In 1969, Lall was on course to become one of tennis’ biggest dream-wreckers, leading Aussie legend Rod Laver by twosets-to-love in the Wimbledon second round. Laver recovered to claim his second Grand Slam that year. In Lahore in 1964, Lall played one match, the singles on the opening day.

Misra, now 77 and from Hyderabad, won the first of the reverse singles in the visiting side’s triumph in Lahore. Much later, when in his 70s, he took over the reins as non-playing captain of the Indian team. “One of the first things that struck me about Lahore was the similarity. I remember thinking this is like anywhere in India. We stayed at the Faletti’s Hotel,” the affable Hyderabadi reminisces. “I don’t think I had Fred Perry clothes for that tie, I got them later. I carried the sweater my mother had knitted for me. The shorts were stitched by a local tailor, my shoes were from Bata.”

Misra gained from his association with the late Ghaus Mohammad, the first Indian to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 1939.

He took pains to underline that those days were different. “It was a quiet time, hardly any publicity. We went quietly, did our jobs and came back,” Misra says. He carried his two Dunlop rackets, which he got strung in Pune for Rs 5, and little else for the trip across the border.

“Although we played the tie on grass, there wasn’t so much power in the game at that time. For me, grass was a little tough to adjust to initially because in the south there wasn’t much opportunity to play on grass courts.

“But the game wasn’t so physical those days and adjusting was easier.”

Akhtar and Misra agree that the trip was an enjoyable experience. “Everyone was very friendly on that tour, and we were treated very well,” Akhtar says. “We were well looked after. It was the same when they came to India, they were well looked after too.”

Akhtar remembers that after the team emerged victorious, Lall and he took off on a trek to the food street at Anarkali Bazaar. “They were supposed to have the best kebabs and we wanted to taste some. The people were excited to see us. The food was excellent. When we got up to pay, they refused to take money. They told us we are their guests.” The taste of those succulent kebabs is long forgotten, but the flavor of that tie is still alive.

2022

Sep 17, 2022: The Times of India

LILLEHAMMER (Norway): The Indian team is staring at a heavy defeat in its Davis Cup World Group I First Round tie after conceding a 0-2 lead to hosts Norway following Ramkumar Ramanathan's loss to Viktor Durasovic in the second singles.

Ramkumar, the number one singles player for India, failed to live up to expectations as he suffered a 1-6, 4-6 loss to his lower-ranked opponent Durasovic in one hour and 16 minutes.

After Prajnesh Gunneswaran lost to world No. 2 and US Open runner-up Casper Ruud 1-6, 4-6 in an expected result in the first singles, the onus was on Ramkumar to keep India in the tie by winning the second match.

But it was not be as Ramkumar, ranked 276 in the world, was no match for 325th-ranked Durasovic who broke Ramkumar's serve thrice and sent down 12 aces as compared to three of his Indian opponent at the Hakons Hall Hard Court indoor facility.

Durasovic sent down five aces in the first set while breaking Ramkumar's serve twice. In the first set, Ramkumar was able to hold only his first service to make it 1-1 but after that it was Durasovic all the way. Ramkumar also had two double faults which made things worse for him as Durasovic took the first set easily.

Ramkumar tried to come back in the second set but he failed to hold his second service game to hand Durasovic a 2-1 lead. The Indian was unable to break Durasovic's serve as the Norwegian fired seven aces. Leading 5-4, Durasovic held onto his serve to close out the match.

Earlier, in the first singles on Friday, world no. 2 Casper Ruud expectedly was too good for India's Prajnesh Gunneswaran, giving Norway a 1-0 lead.

Ruud, who finished runner-up at the US Open after going down to Carlos Alcaraz on Monday, turned up for national duty four days later and did the job for his team. He beat the 335-ranked Indian 6-1, 6-4 in one hour and two minutes.

After being totally outplayed in the first set, Prajnesh lifted his game in the second to make Ruud's task tougher. While the Indian failed to get a break point, his more accomplished opponent converted three out of the five opportunities he got.

On day two, Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni will face Ruud and Durasovic in the doubles. In the reverse singles, also to be played, Ramkumar will be up against Ruud while Prajnesh faces Durasovic.

2024

February 5, 2024: The Times of India

Belgium secured their spot in the Davis Cup Finals by defeating Croatia, with Zizou Bergs clinching the decisive point.

In a surprising turn of events, Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen gave Belgium the lead by winning the doubles match 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) against Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic, following a shared result in the opening singles matches on Saturday.

Bergs continued to shine in Varazdin, defeating Duje Ajdukovic 6-1, 7-5, adding to his successful opening-day victory over former world number three Marin Cilic.

This marks the first time Croatia will miss out on the Davis Cup Finals since the format changed in 2019.

Meanwhile, France advanced to the finals by completing a straightforward win over Taiwan.

Already leading 2-0 after Saturday's singles, France secured their passage as Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin rallied from a set down to defeat Hsu Yu-hsiou and Jason Jung 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/1).

The group phase is scheduled for September, with the knockout stage taking place in Malaga in November.

"We were perhaps a little timid at the start," said Roger-Vasselin. "We stayed calm. We knew our level of play was going to change. We had to keep our nerve."

Quentin Halys sealed the French triumph by defeating Jason Tseng 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).

The Czech Republic secured qualification with a decisive 3-0 victory over Israel. The Israeli doubles team, consisting of Daniel Cukierman and Edan Leshem, had to retire from their match against Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek.

Cukierman suffered a hamstring injury in the third game and, despite attempting to soldier on, had to concede several games later.

"From the beginning, we played really well," said Machac. "I would like to wish Dani a speedy recovery. This kind of ending is not nice."

Argentina secured a hard-fought victory against the underdogs Kazakhstan, ultimately winning the dramatic tie 3-2.

The host nation, Argentina, initially took a 2-1 lead with a three-set victory in the doubles. However, the Kazakh team staged an unexpected comeback, defying substantial gaps in player rankings compared to their South American counterparts.

Despite Kazakhstan's top player, Alexander Bublik, having recently won the ATP event in Montpellier, the world number 278, Timofey Skatov, managed to defeat the 22nd-ranked Francisco Cerundolo in a gripping match, with a scoreline of 7-6 (7/1), 6-4.

In the deciding rubber, world number 338 Dmitry Popko made a strong comeback from a set down against Sebastian Baez. Despite holding two match points in the third-set tie-break, Popko narrowly slipped to an agonizing 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8/6) defeat.

Over the weekend, Slovakia, Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Brazil, USA and Canada also secured qualification.

In a surprising turn of events, Serbia, playing without Novak Djokovic, suffered a stunning 4-0 loss to Slovakia.

Defending champions Italy, last year's runners-up Australia, as well as Britain and Spain, have automatically advanced to the finals.

(AFP Photo)

India beats Pakistan

February 5, 2024: The Times of India

Islamabad : The Indian Davis Cup team capped a historic visit to Pakistan after 60 years by sealing their place in World Group I as they blanked Pakistan 4-0 with Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni recording a comfortable victory and Niki Poonacha making a winning debut.

Taking the court with a 2-0 lead in the pocket, Bhambri and Myneni subdued the home team of Muzammil Murtaz a and Aqeel Khan 6-2 7-6(5) in the doubles rubber to extend India’s dominance of Pakistan in the tournament.


Aqeel replaced Barkat Ullah in the side. The idea was to have an experienced player for the do-or-die match, the defeat in which would have clinched India the tie.


However, Bhambri and big-serving Myneni did not put a foot wrong in the match in which they were not troubled by their rivals much. The gulf in quality in the two teams was apparent.
 Myneni’s big serves were too hot to handle for the home team. Myneni hardly lost a point o n his serve and was also superb at the net also.


The Indian players’ returns were also better as several times Bhambri sent down winners between the two Pakistani players. The 28-year-old Poonacha was then asked to play the dead fourth rubber against Muhammad Shoaib, who he beat 6-3 6-4. The fifth match was not played.


Shoaib struggled with his serve but had a terrific backhand. Realising Shoaib’s strong point, Niki did not feed many balls to his backhand and comfortably logged the win. Shoaib also struggled to contain unforced errors, giving many free po- ints to the Indian. 
It was India’s eighth win in as many meetings in the event, dubbed as World Cup of tennis, and now they will compete in World Group I in September this year while Pakistan will stay in Group II.


The Indian team adapted well to the tough conditions and the heavy security around them, not letting the restrictions on their movement have an adverse impact on them. The Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) did well in creating a safety net around the players, as several agencies worked in tandem to ensure that the historic tie went without any untoward incidents.


“The organisation was spot on. All the arrangements were good. We thank Pakistan Tennis Federation for being wonderful hosts,” India captain Zeeshan Ali said. Bhambri and Myneni had a tight grip over the contest from the beginning. They broke Aqeel in the first and fifth games for a commanding 4-1 lead. In game one, Aqeel hit a backhand long and wide to be down two breakpoints. 
PTI

Denmark Open

2023

Oct 22, 2023: The Times of India

Denmark Open : Sindhu loses ill-tempered semi against Carolina Marin


Odense (Denmark): PV Sindhu lost to her old nemesis Carolina Marin of Spain in three games in an ill-tempered semifinal of the Denmark Open Super 750 tournament, which saw both players receive yellow cards for verbal exchanges. Sindhu, who has been struggling the whole season, lost 18-21, 21-19, 7-21. This was Sindhu’s fifth loss on the trot against Marin. Sindhu and Marin had talked about camaraderie between them but they showed none of it. Marin was, in fact, seen screaming after every point.


Fenesta Open National Tennis Championships

2024

Vaidehi, Rethin claim national tennis titles


New Delhi: Vaidehi Chaudhari and Rethin Pranav claimed the women’s and men’s singles titles in contrasting fashions at the Fenesta Open National Tennis Championships here on Saturday. Gujarat girl Vaidehi made light of an indisposition and the buzz around her opponent — 15-year-old prodigy Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi — to win 6-3, 6-3 in an hour and 35 minutes at the DLTA Complex. It was the 24-year-old’s second crown and also her third successive final. The 17-year-old Rethin needed two hours and 20 minutes to overcome the seasoned Nitin Kumar Sinha of Railways 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 for his maiden national title.
TNN


Grand Slam

Indians with Grand Slam titles

As in 2024 Jan

GO RO! GRAND SLAM NO. 1 FOR WORLD NO. 1 AT AGE 43

➤ Aged 43 years, 329 days on Saturday, Rohan Bopanna became the oldest man in Open Era to win a Grand Slam doubles title. Bopanna and Australian partner Matthew Ebden (36 years, 62 days, giving the duo a combined age of 80 years, 26 days), beat the Italian pair of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 7-6(0), 7-5


➤ Bopanna’s first Grand Slam men’s doubles title came on his 61st appearance, the most attempts ever by someone before achieving the feat


➤ Bopanna third Indian man in Open Era to win a Grand Slam men’s doubles title, after Leander Paes (8 men’s doubles titles) and Mahesh Bhupathi (4). Sania Mirza has 3 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles


➤ On Monday, Bopanna will officially become doubles world No. 1 for the first time in his career, making him the oldest man to achieve the ranking

Grand Slam singles

1989: Ramesh Krishnan: first Indian to beat a seeded player

In 1989 when Ramesh Krishnan shocked Sweden’s Mats Wilander, the then top seed, world No. 1 and defending champion at the Australian Open.

Krishnan had beaten qualifier Byron Talbot of South Africa in four sets in the first round. In the next, he shocked Wilander — who had won three of the last four Slams (Australian Open, French Open and US Open) — in straight sets 6-3, 6-2, 7-6, a scoreline very similar to Nagal’s victory margin in 2024.

Wilander, a winner of seven Grand Slam titles till then, never won another Grand Slam title again. Krishnan’s dream run was ended by Mexican Leonardo Lavalle who beat the Indian in four sets.

Sumit Nagal, 2024

Sumit Nagal’s win over world No. 27 Alexander Bublik in 2024 was the first time in 35 years that an Indian beat a seeded player in a Grand Slam.

Hall of Fame

2023: Paes, Amritraj First Asian Men To Be inducted

Dec 14, 2023: The Times of India

Paes, Amritraj inducted in tennis Hall of Fame

Become First Asian Men To Be Given The Honour

New Delhi : Indian tennis legends Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj became the first Asian men to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Paes, an 18-time Grand Slam champion in doubles and mixed doubles, has been selected in the player category, while Amritraj was inducted in the contributor category. The contributor category recognises true pioneers, visionary leaders, or individuals/groups who have made a transcendent impact on the sport.
The Class of 2024 will be officially inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday in Newport, Rhode Island. Paes and Amritraj will join an elite group of 264 inductees from 27 nations –with India set to become the 28th nation represented in the Hall of Fame. “It has been my life’s honour to play for my country for over three decades in a sport that has given and taught me everything. This acknowledgment is indeed the ultimate accolade for every tennis player. Induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame belongs not just to me, but to our billion-plus Indians,” Paes said.
PTI

Hungary Open

Sharath-Sathiyan enter final

Sharath-Sathiyan pair storms into Hungary Open final

Budapest:

The Indian pairing of Sharath Kamal and G Sathiyan upset top-seeds Kwan Kit Ho and Chun Ting Wong of Hong Kong to enter the men's doubles final of the ITTF World Tour Hungary Open here on Friday. In a hard-fought five-setter, the Indian qualifiers won 11-7, 12-10, 4-11, 4-11, 11-9 and earned a meeting with the second-seeded pair of Duda Benedikt and Franziska Patrick from Germany in the final to be held on Saturday.

Indian Wells

2023: Bopanna wins

Prajwal Hegde, March 20, 2023: The Times of India

BENGALURU: Rohan Bopanna is wearing age with the aplomb of an invincibility cloak.

At 43, the champion at Indian Wells, California alongside Aussie Matt Ebden, the Bangalorean became the oldest ever ATP Masters winner. Bopanna and Ebden, unseeded in the event they call the fifth Slam, upset the top-seeds Weseley Koolhof and Neal Skupski 6-3, 2-6, 10-8 to take the title in the early hours of Sunday. Bopanna, who’ll move to No.11 in the rankings, is the oldest player in the top-100 of the ATP individual doubles.

The towering Kodava noted that the real victory was in the journey. “That I was able to pursue my tennis, keep it going and believe that I could win big tournaments (at this age), that has been the biggest feeling for me,” he said. “Having a partner like Matt, we decided last year that the goal was to win these 500, 1000 events.”

Bopanna, who was ranked a career-best No. 3 a decade ago, said, “I got a lot of messages this week, people are inspired that I was able to do this, show that it is still possible to do this at this age.”

Bopanna, who travels with a physio Belgian Rebecca Van Orshaegen and coach American Scot Davidoff, had to put in the hard yards to make this partnership with the 35-year-old Ebden the force it had the potential to be.

“I put in a lot of effort, making sure that I recover (physically after every match) to be able to achieve this. That is where my strengths are, constantly finding ways to improve.” Bopanna, the only Indian to qualify for the Masters Series event, has been at the receiving end of ‘doubles only’ jibes from former players.

Just as well that he has made an art of rolling with the punches. “The only person representing India (here), I really feel proud of that,” Bopanna said.

“In tournaments, wherever an athlete is from, the (country’s) flag is out there. It’s always nice to see the Indian flag.”

The Indo-Aussie pair, who came together after their partners of last year decided to move on, lost their first two matches as a team in Australia in January.

Ebden, who had paired with Max Purcell last year, reaching the final of the Australian Open and winning Wimbledon, was perhaps weighed down by the weight of expectation when playing at home.

Madrid Open

2023

A

Bopanna-Ebden make title round: Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden beat Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin to reach the men’s doubles final at the Madrid Open. The 43-year-old Bopanna and Ebden, 35, defeated eighth seeds Gonzalez and RogerVasselin 5-7 7-6(3) 10-4. The two will now take on the unseeded Russian pair of Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev, in the final.

B

May 7, 2023: The Times of India

Madrid: Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden lost to Russian pair of Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov in the Madrid Open men’s doubles final. The 43-year-old Bopanna and Ebden, 35, lost 3-6, 6-3, 3-10 in the summit clash that lasted one hour and nine minutes. The Indo-Australian pair had entered their second ATP Masters 1000 final of the season after beating the duo of Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the semifinals.

Miami Open

2024: Bopanna-Ebden win title

April 1, 2024: The Times of India

Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden displayed stirring mental heft in their Miami Open, Masters 1000 triumph.


The Indo-Aussie combine, not only reeled off the last six points of the match, coming from behind to win the super tie-breaker against the Croat-American combine of Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek, but also did well to put behind them the slip in the opening set.


Bopanna, 44, and Ebden, 36, had three set points on serve at 6-5 in the opening set. The duo then double-faulted on set point in the first set tiebreak to give their opponents the early advantage.


After an hour and 43 minutes, Bopanna and Ebden rallied for a sparkling 6-7 (3), 6-3, 10-6 win that moved them to joint No. 1 in the individual doubles rankings.

Moselle Open

2024

Rithvik-Cabral pair shocks top seeds: India’s Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli and his Portuguese partner Francisco Cabral defeated top seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard RogerVasselin 7-6 (1) 6-4 to storm into the men’s doubles semifinal of the Moselle Open.

Perugia Challenger

2024

A

June 15, 2024: The Times of India

Perugia: Sumit Nagal continued his splendid form by entering the semi-final of the ongoing Perugia Challenger here on Friday. The sixth-seeded Indian overcame the challenge from the unseeded Maks Kasnikowski of Poland in the quarterfinal, winning in straight sets 6-4, 7-5. This is his eighth successive win since the start of Heilbronn Challenger.

Roland Garros

2024

A

Prajwal Hegde, June 4, 2024: The Times of India

Paris: Sriram Balaji made a valiant effort to best his mentor Rohan Bopanna in the third round at Roland Garros, the 34-year-old fought doggedly for 2-hours and 20-minutes, before the second seeds —Bopanna and Aussie Matthew Ebden—scored a fighting 6-7 (2), 6-3, 7-6 (10-8) win to move into the French Open quarterfinals. Bopanna and Ebden play the Belgian pairing of Sander Gille and Joran Vilegen, the 10th seeds.


Balaji and Mexico’s Miguel Reyes-Varelas, who made the draw as alternates, even took a 7-6 lead in the match tie-break, before Bopanna and Ebden, who weren’t broken in the match, took charge, winning four of the last five points. 


“I’m extremely proud of what he has done here,” Bopanna said of Balaji. “It shows he believes in himself and belongs at this level. He played extremely good tennis, he’s an explosive player, with a big game.”


Balaji, who was well out of the player field here, took a chance and arrived in Paris, where he signed up with ReyesVarelas the day before the tournament. “This match was not like any other match, playing Bops, I look up to him,” Balaji said. “I didn’t know how I could react, say ‘come on’ or something like that. Obviously it’s a sport, he will take it in a good way, I thought.”


This match was more than a Grand Slam third-round affair for more than one reason. Bopanna, 44, will decide who he’ll partner in Paris Olympics by the end of this week. Yuki Bhambri (ranked no.52) and Balaji (at No.66 in the Live Rankings) are the frontrunners.
 Bopanna said he would let the All India Tennis Association know of his decision by the end of the tournament. Balaji has done his bit in promoting his case at Roland Garros, where the Olympics will be played in July-August.


“It all depends on Bops,” Balaji said of the Oly ticket.

Bopanna-Ebden Pair Goes Down Fighting In Semis

Prajwal.Hegde, June 7, 2024: The Times of India

Paris: After falling short in their first two meetings of the year against the world No.2 pairing of India’s Rohan Bopanna and Aussie Matthew Ebden, the all-Italian combine of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, found a way in their next outing in Rome.


The 11th seeds, playing sharp tennis under a weak Paris sun, managed to replicate that effort in the Roland Garros semifinals on Thursday. Bopanna and Ebden, who have struck consistent notes in the majors, making at least the semifinals of their last four Grand Slams, went down 5-7, 6-2, 2-6 in a shade under two-hours.


Bopanna and Ebden struck first in the fourth game of the match, Bopanna’s forehand crosscourt opening up the court, giving the second seeds a chance to break. They made no mistake on the next point. The Italians hit back in the seventh game, before gaining the decisive break in the 11th.


Bopanna and Ebden, who had beaten Bolelli and Vavassori in the title round of the Australian Open in January, were broken early in the deciding third set and the Italians did well to steer clear of trouble, with Bopanna and Ebden winning just 19 points in the third set.


Bolelli and Vavassori, Italy’s Olympic pairing, are in their second successive major final.

Tata Open Maharashtra

2022: Bopanna-Ramanathan beat Saville-Patrick Smith, win title

Kumaraswamy K, February 7, 2022: The Times of India

Pune: From Adelaide to Pune, the conditions, the atmosphere and the context — everything was different, except for one constant.


Rohan Bopanna and Ramkumar Ramanathan clinched their second ATP title in as many weeks of tournament play by lifting the trophy at the Tata Open Maharashtra here on Sunday. The Indian pair overcame top seeds Luke Saville and John-Patrick Smith of Australi a 6-7 (10), 6-3, 10-6 in the final of the $494,000 ATP 250 hard-court event at the Mhalunge-Balewadi stadium.


The title was of significance to both Ramkumar and Bopanna. It was the second title for the Chennai lad and saw him break into the top-100 in doubles rankings.

For Bopanna, it was the 21st of his career and third on home soil — he had won with Jeevan Nedu nchezhiyan in Chennai in 2017 and with Divij Sharan two years later in Pune.

Ramkumar and Bopanna had clinched the title on their Tour debut in Adelaide last month. But, then they had formed the team at the last minute after Bopanna’s partner for the season, Edouard Roger-Vasselin withdrew after getting picked for France in the ATP Cup.

The Bangalorean, 41, is showing no signs of ageing. “It comes down to experience and years of competing and playing,” Bopanna said after the win. “But importantly I am enjoying playing as the body is doing well at this juncture. I did yoga during the pandemic … it has helped tremendously.

“Anytime you are physically fine, it brings out the best in you. I may not be giving my100 p ercent in practice, but as long as I am going out there and competing, that is when I give it my best. ”

US Open

2023

A

Prajwal Hegde, Sep 7, 2023: The Times of India

New York : Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden walked out to a raucous reception for their quarterfinal clash at the US Open.

They were playing a home team, 15th seeds Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow, at the Grandstand Stadium. The crowd support was not lost on Ebden. “I was thinking, we are in the US, playing two Americans in the quarterfinals of the US Open, they come out… and then we came out and the crowd was so much louder for us! I was like wow, this is great!”


Bopanna and Ebden were a tad off the pace in the opening set, maybe it was the heat, or the humidity or that the Americans started sharp. The serve was under pressure, and the veteran combine was brought to task against a pair of 30-year-olds — Lammons and Withrow, — but they used the crowd to get up to the challenge.


“We had strong support, especially the Indian crowd,” the Aussie said. “We wanted to use it in key moments, that got us over the line.”


Bopanna, 43, and Ebden 35, seeded six, fought off seven breakpoints in the opening set to score a 7-6 (10), 6-1 victory to move into their second successive major semifinals, where they take on the French pair of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut.


SHAH-PARK PAIR ADVANCES


India’s Aryan Shah and South Korea’s Seungmin Park rallied to a strong win over American wildcard entrants Andrew Delgado and Matthew Forbes in the boys’ doubles of the US Open. Once the Indo-Korean pairing came back from 2-4 in the first set to push it to tiebreak they didn’t look back, scoring a 7-6 (2), 6-2 win.

B

Prajwal Hegde, Sep 9, 2023: The Times of India

New York : Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury clinched a third successive US Open men’s doubles crown, stopping India’s Rohan Bopanna and Aussie Matthew Ebden 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the Arthur Ashe stadium. Bopanna, who became the oldest Grand Slam doubles finalist in the Open Era at 43 years and 6 months, won hearts — even though his own might’ve been a little broken — when he reversed a call at 0-15 on Ebden’s serve (seventh game, third set), conceding that the ball had brushed him. No one had noticed.


Bopanna-Ebden, playing their first Grand Slam final as a team, were quickly out of the blocks. They broke the American in the opening game of the match and had chances on the Briton’s serve in the third game. They nailed the opportunity in the seventh game and backed it up by closing the opening set in 30 minutes.


Salisbury and Ram refused to be pegged back. They broke in the sixth game of the second set to take the match into the decider. The Indo-Aussie pairing, who had their share of crowd support, dug themselves out of a hole in the opening game of the third set, where they came back from love-40 to hold. Salisbury-Ram saved three breakpoints in the third game of a pulsating third set and then struck in the fifth game when a Bopanna forehand went wide. That’s all the third seeds needed.


For Bopanna, it’s all about longevity


Rohan Bopanna is not chasing age records, least of all those ‘oldest’ tags. That might come as a surprise given the enthusiasm with which he has been picking them up lately. On second thoughts, considering they translate to a long and successful career, the 43-year-old will keep them. Happily. “As an athlete, the idea is to go out there, play well and win matches, these records keep happening, and it is fantastic to be part of it along the way,” he said. “If you have played at a high level for a long time, this is possible.”


Ebden, on his part, said, “At the end of my singles career I thought I now have a doubles career for another five years, I am there at 40. Bops is pushing for more, sky’s the limit really. I’m learning from Bops on the longevity thing, the way he approaches the season, life in general. He finds a good balance.”

Wimbledon and India

In brief

India at Wimbledon

Sardar Nihal Singh was the first Indian to play at Wimbledon - 1908, 1909 and 1910.

Leela Row Dayal in 1934 became the first Indian woman to win a match at Wimbledon. She lost in 2nd round.

Ghaus Mohammad was the first Indian to reach Wimbledon quarters in 1939 where he lost to Bobby Riggs.

Ramanathan Krishnan reached semi-finals in 1960 and 1961 losing both years to the eventual champions Neale Fraser and Rod Laver, respectively.

Vijay Amritraj reached quarter finals twice both as an unseeded entry. In 1973 he lost to Jan Kodes and in 1981 to Jimmy Connors.

Ramesh Krishnan reached the quarters in 1986 losing to Slobodan Zivojinovic.

Bhupathi and Paes won men’s doubles in 1999.

Paes also won mixed doubles partnering Lisa Raymond.

Sania Mirza won women’s doubles in 2015 partnering Martina Hingis.

1960-2015

Prajwal Hegde, Wimbledon: First among the equals, June 29, 2020: The Times of India

The sprawling lawns, a staggering set-up steeped in history. The striking silverware that’s rolled out on Finals weekend every July. Its gold-edged traditions. The mostly alluring, sometimes annoying, all-white clothing rule. Fred Perry’s statue, slight but stark, the quotation from the Rudyard Kipling poem ‘If’ above the entrance to Centre Court. The extract reads, ‘If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same’. As if.

For Indian pros and its fandom, the Wimbledon tennis championships, the 2020 edition of which has been called off due to Covid-19, has long ranked first among the game’s majors. The first among equals.

Ramanathan Krishnan put the colonial hangover to good use, striking it right on the slick surface by making two Wimbledon semifinals —1960 and ’61 — in the amateur era, to set a trend.

Vijay Amritraj, twice quarterfinalist in ’73 and ’81, termed his favourite hunting ground ‘special’, on a variety of fronts. “It is something the British have managed to create, where legacy, history, tradition and everything modern about it comes together in one fortnight,” said Vijay. “Everything has changed at Wimbledon, yet nothing has changed at Wimbledon.

“The first time I walked in was back in 1969, through Gate No. 5 on Church Road. Goose bumps on both arms,” added Vijay, articulate shot-maker and storyteller sublime. “I had 50 pence to buy a standing-only ticket to watch the greatest first-round match in the history of Wimbledon between Pancho Gonzales and Charlie Pasarell.” He was no more than a boy of 15 then. Ramesh Krishnan completed Indian tennis’ father-son duo at The Championships, making the quarterfinals in 1986. He was perhaps the craftiest of an assembly line of pros from this country, who were artists more than athletes.

It was up to Leander Paes then to break that time-honoured Indian tradition with his speed of hand and feet. Paes, who clinched the junior singles title, also won one doubles and four mixed-doubles titles at Wimbledon. The men’s crown came in tandem with Mahesh Bhupathi in 1999; that sweet-and-sour partnership went on to become one of the columns of the sport in India. Bhoopati-Paes, as they were called by chair umpires around the world, started their journey in 1990 in a quaint London suburb.

“I had got to the final of the Australian Open (juniors) and when I got to Wimbledon, Hesh said, ‘Lee, I don’t have a place to stay. Can I stay with you?’ And I’m like, sure,” Paes said. “We had one tray of food because I was the only one with the meal allowance on my badge. So, we’d go into the Wimbledon cafeteria, take one tray with two forks.”

Not long after, standing on the same side of the net, they made music. Sania Mirza was a pathbreaker for the women’s game in India. She claimed the girls’ doubles title with Russian Alisa Kleybanova in 2003 and won the women’s event with Swiss Martina Hingis some 12 years later in 2015.

The Hyderabadi’s love affair with The Championships began in 2001, when she made the second round of the girls’ singles, falling to Argentinian Gisela Dulko. Then just 14 and travelling with parents Imran and Nasima, Sania enjoyed an ice cream treat after her loss. “It’s ok,” she had said then, with a shrug of her shoulders. “I gave it my best.”

The same year that Sania and Hingis claimed the doubles title, Sumit Nagal and Vietnam’s Nam Hoang Ly won the junior boys’ event, beating fourth seeds Japan’s Akira Santillan and the 6’11’’ American Reilly Opelka in the final. Nagal, now the India No. 1 in singles, was playing his last junior event then. “I don’t normally play doubles,” the 17-year-old said after the win. “Wimbledon is a big deal for us. It’s such a huge tournament. Of course, I would’ve liked to have done better in the singles, but it’s nice to have your name on any trophy here.”

Strawberries and cream. And dreams.

2023

A

Prajwal Hegde, July 12, 2023: The Times of India

London: Wimbledon’s social media handle sparked the Kannada vibe as it anointed Rohan Bopanna — the oldest player in The Championships – ‘India’s superstar’ in Kannada. 


The 43-year-old Bengalurean, 6’4’’, who has used yoga to rejuvenate a career that appeared to have stalled when his knees started troubling him five years ago, in March became the oldest man to win a Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells.


Bopanna, playing his 13th Wimbledon, made the semifinals here twice in 2013 and 2015. Fittingly, it was that run 10 years ago, his best at the All England Club, that resulted in his career-best ranking of No. 3 in the world in July 2013. On the court, Bopanna, 43, and Aussie Matthew Ebden fought off match point in a rain-interrupted third-round match on Court No. 12 to beat alternates David Pel of the Netherlands and American Reese Stalder. 
 The Indo-Aussie pairing came through 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (10-5) in two hours and 19 minutes.


Bopanna and Ebden, who took the first set by breaking in the 11th game, played a careless 10th game in the second set, going down 0-40 on Bopanna’s serve to allow the alternates back into the match.

B

July 13, 2023: The Indian Express

Top Indian doubles player Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden continued their dream run to advance into the Wimbledon semi-final with a hard-fought 6-7 (6-3) 7-5 6-2 win over Dutch duo of Tallon Griekspoor and Bart Stevens.

For the 43-year-old, this will be his third appearance in a c semi-final and first since 2015.

Overall, Bopanna, a US Open runner-up in 2010, has made four Grand Slam semifinals in the men’s doubles.

The sixth seeded Indo-Australian duo will now be up against the top-seeded Dutch-British pair Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski for a place in the final.

The unseeded Dutch duo stretched the opening set to the fullest before wrapping it in the tie-breaker in a 45-minute battle.

They went on to break the Bopanna-Ebden in the first game of the second set. But the Indo-Aussie duo broke back Griekspoor-Stevens and further seized the seventh game.

But Griekspoor-Stevens were not ready to give up easily as they made it 5-5 before Bopanna-Ebden duo got a break in the 11th game and retained their serve in the next to take the second set in 40 minutes.

The third set was a cakewalk for as they broke the Dutch pair twice, in the first and fifth games, before wrapping the match in a one-hour 54 minutes battle.

C

Reddy loses in U-14 semis: India’s Vihaan Reddy, the No. 2 seed in the Wimbledon boys’ under-14 singles, bowed out in the semifinals. The Yadgirborn, California-based 13-year-old topped Group ‘B’ of the league table with a 2-1 win-loss record. In the semifinals, Reddy went down to the third seed Svit Suljic of Slovenia 1-6, 3-6.

2016

Sikki-Pranaav win Grand Prix title

Foz do Iguacu (Brazil)

Indian mixed doubles pair of Sikki Reddy and Pranaav Jerry Chopra clinched their maiden Grand Prix title, bagging the Brazil Open with a straight game victory over Canadian combo of Toby Ng and Rachel Honderich in the finals, here. The top seeded Indian pair, who are ranked World No. 65, prevailed 21-15, 21-16 over second seeds Toby and Rachel in a 37-minute summit clash at Costa Cavalcante here.

2017

The best players

February 10, 2018: The Times of India

YUKI BHAMBRI

Won the $50,000 KPIT ATP Challenger Crown, beating Ramkumar Ramanathan 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 for his six Challenger triumph. Beat the world No 22 and defending champion Gail Monfils in the second round of the ATP Citi Open in Washington, DC. Having qualified for the main draw of the ATP 500 tournament, Bhambri upset the Frenchman 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.

In the third round, he rallied to beat Argentinian Guido Pella 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-1 before losing to Kevin Anderson in the quarterfinals. This performance saw Bhambri move 41 spots in the ATP rankings, from 200 to 159. He was also the runners-up with Divij Sharan at the Tashkent Challenger.

ROHAN BOPANNA

Lifted his first Grand Slam title by winning the French Open mixed doubles trophy with Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski, becoming the fourth Indian tennis player to clinch a major. In just his second Grand Slam final, Bopanna teamed with Dabrowski to beat Germany’s Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Colombia’s Robert Farah 2-6, 6-2, 12-10.Won the season opening Chennai Open with Jeeven Nedunchezhiyan. Won the Monte Carlo Masters with his Uruguayan partner Pablo Cuevas after a three-set win over Spain’s Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez. Won the Erste Bank Open in Vienna with Cuevas, beating Sam Querrey and Marcelo Demoliner 7-6 (7), 6-7 (4), 11-9.

Also reached the quarter-finals of the China Open with Cuevas.

SANIA MIRZA

With Czech partner Barbara Strycova, reached the final of the Sydney International final where the pair lost 4-6, 4-6 to Timea Babos and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Partnered Strycova to the final of the Miami Open, where they were stunned by the unseeded pair of Gabriela Dabrowski and Xu Yifan 4-6, 3-6. Reached the semi-finals of the $2,666,000 Wuhan Open in China with Chinese partner Shuai Peng. Reached the semifinals of the China Open with Peng.

DIVIJ SHARAN

Won the men’s doubles title with Purav Raja at the Bordeaux Challenger in straight sets over Santiago Gonzalez and Artem Sitak. Won the European Open Trophy in Antwerp with American Scott Lipsky - his first of 2017 on the ATP World Tour, and third overall - with a 6-4, 2-6, 10-5 win over Santiago Gonzalez and Julio Peralta.

Runner-up with Yuki Bhambri at the Tashkent Challenger event after a 4-6, 2-6 loss to the second seeded pair of Hans Podlipnik-Castillo an Andrei Vasilevski. Runner-up with Raja at the season-opening Chennai Open. Runnerup with Scott Clayton at the Brest Challenger event in France. Reached his highest career rank of 51.

PURAV RAJA

Won the men’s doubles title with Divij Sharan at the Bordeaux Challenger in straight sets over Santiago Gonzalez and Artem Sitak. Runner-up with Sharan at the season-opening Chennai Open.

With Leander Paes, reached the quarterfinals of the €106,000 Challenger tennis tournament in France. Teamed up with Paes to win the $75,000 Knoxville Challenge with a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4) victory over James Cerretani and John-Patrick Smith.

2018

Davis Cup: India loses to Serbia

Kumaraswamy K, India lose doubles & tie to Serbia in Davis Cup, September 16, 2018: The Times of India

Captain Mahesh Bhupathi wore a wry smile at the press conference. “Well, we have made it to the World Group next year. That’s the positive we take. And hopefully, it will be a home tie, because I think we deserve it,” Bhupathi said, his carefully put-on glee masking the 0-3 numbing defeat against Serbia.

Factually, the multiple Grand Slam champion was spot on. But beyond that, there was nothing else to take away for Indians from the slow, low bouncing red surface at the Kraljevo Sports Centre. The Indians could take just one set, won by Ramkumar Ramanathan in the opening singles on Friday.

On Saturday, the ageing Rohan Bopanna and Saketh Myneni proved little match for the thunderous serves of Cup debutant Danilo Petrovic and the solid-and-steady-from-thebaseline, Nikola Milojevic. Needing to win to keep the tie alive, the Indians went down 6-7 (5), 2-6, 6-7 (4) in two hours and 22 minutes.

Bhupathi didn’t have much of an explanation for changing the doubles nomination, replacing Sriram Balaji with Myneni. At 6’8”, Petrovic delivered bombs at will. It was way above the calibre of a player ranked 228 in doubles and 233 in singles. Milojevic, 23, is ranked 193 in singles and 345 in doubles.

Bhupathi responded edgily when it was pointed out the Indians were the favourites to win the doubles. “I don’t know which expert said that. I am the doubles expert. And I always believed that this was going to be an extremely difficult rubber,” he said.

Oct:  Divij India’s top doubles player

October 30, 2018: The Times of India

Divij Sharan became India’s new number one doubles player, overtaking veteran Rohan Bopanna by moving to 38 in the ATP rankings.

The left-handed Sharan, who has been one of the most consistent players on the doubles circuit with partner Artem Sitak, has held the numero uno position in the country for the first time in his career.

Bopanna dropped nine places to 39 while Leander Paes gained two places to be 60 in the world. Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan touched a career-high rank of 72 with a jump of three places.

“It feels pretty amazing to have become the highest ranked player in India today. It’s not easy by any means with Mahesh, Leander and Rohan having dominated the doubles circuit for the last couple of decades but they have carved the path and set the trend for the rest of us,” the 32-year-old Divij said.

Taipei OEC: Ankita-Karman pair clinches title

November 18, 2018: The Indian Express

Ankita Raina and Karman Kaur Thandi -- India’s top two singles players --combined to win their maiden title on the WTA Tour, grabbing the doubles trophy at the USD 125,000 Taipei OEC Open, on Sunday. Playing first time together on the Pro circuit, the Indians clinched the title when Russia’s Olga Doroshina and Natela Dzalamidze opted out of edge-of-seat contest due to latter’s injury. The match was on even keel with both the pairs splitting the first two sets. The Indians had won the first set 6-4 but lost the second 5-7. The super tie breaker was tied 12-12 when Natela fell and suffered a hamstring injury. She struggled to even walk and they were forced to retire.

2019

A summary of the year

Hindol Basu and Rohit Bharadwaj, Dec 29, 2019 The Times of India

OUT OF THE BLUE

Very few had heard about Sumit Nagal until an early morning news flash showed that the Jhajjar-born tennis player will be up against Swiss legend Roger Federer in the opening round of 2019 US Open. Suddenly, Nagal was trending on multiple social media platforms. The hashtag #Fegal – on the lines of #Fedal (representing the Federer-Nadal rivalry) – was top of the charts. And the way Nagal handled the moment was remarkable. He refused to be intimidated by Federer as he won a set off the Swiss Maestro. He finished the year as world No. 134 after starting the year at 340.

ATP Los Kabos

Prajnesh beats Millman

July 31, 2019: The Times of India

Prajnesh stuns Millman, in Rd 2

Los Kabos (Mexico):

India’s top singles player Prajnesh Gunneswaran stunned World No. 67 John Millman, beginning his campaign at the ATP Los Kabos event with a bang here.

The left-hander, ranked 90 in the world, beat his Australian rival 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 in one hour and 49 minutes on Monday night. There were plenty of chances that came Prajnesh’s way and he utilised five of the 16 breakpoints he earned. He also saved three of the seven chances on his own serve. Next up for Prajnesh could be World No. 28 Taylor Fritz, who recently won his maiden ATP Tour title in Eastbourne on grass.

In the doubles, the Indian pair of Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Purav Raja lost their first round 3-6, 3-6 to Lucas Pouille and Gregoire Barrere. PTI

Prajnesh loses in second round

Squandering break opportunities cost Prajnesh Gunneswaran dear as the Indian made a second-round exit from the ATP Los Kabos event following defeat against world number 28 Taylor Fritz, here.

The left-handed Indian, ranked 90, could convert just one of the six break chances to eventually suffer a 6-4 3-6 2-6 defeat against the American. The 20-points earned will help Prajnesh gain two places on the ranking ladder. He also pocketed $12,825 as prize money.

ATP Banja Luka

Sumit finishes runner-up

A title continued to elude Sumit Nagal as he finished runner-up in the 46,000-euro ATP Challenger men’s tennis event in Banja Luka in Bosnia-Herzegovina on Sunday. The 22-year-old went down to the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor 2-6, 3-6 in an hour and 30 minutes, a somewhat surprising scoreline as he had put up a strong show on the red clay throughout the tournament. AGENCIES

ATP Challenger, Brazil: Nagal loses semis

Nagal goes down in semis in Brazil

Sumit Nagal went down 4-6, 1-6 to Argentine Juan Pablo Ficovich in the semifinals of the $54,000 ATP Challenger men’s tennis event on clay in Campinas, Brazil, on Saturday. The effort will see the 22-year-old Indian rise to 129 in world rankings.

Balaji wins doubles title in Taipei

Kumaraswamy K, April 16, 2019: The Times of India

Sriram Balaji had a memorable start to his partnership with former Australian Open doubles champion Jonathan Erlich as the duo captured the title in the ATP Challenger 125 Series event in Chinese Taipei.

Seeded third in their first tournament together, the Indo-Israeli pair tamed fourth seeds Sander Arends of the Netherlands and Tristan-Samuel Weissborn of Austria 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the hard court tournament on Sunday.

“Definitely it is a great experience playing with Joni. I didn’t feel like this was our first time together,” said the 29-year-old Balaji, who jumped five places to 101 in the latest doubles ranking.

The champions earned 125 points and $9,300. It was his sixth career Challenger title, the previous five coming in association with Vishnu Vardhan. Although Erlich, who lifted the trophy at the Australian Open in 2008 with compatriot Andy Ram, is 42, Balaji was excited about the partnership’s prospects.

“I felt very comfortable with him. He was also sharing his experience and helping me with my game during the week, like a few things I have to work on and get better. We both complement each other very well. We are looking forward in lifting a few more titles in the coming weeks,” he said.

Bopanna, Shapovalov 2nd in ATP Mercedes Cup

June 17, 2019: The Times of India

Bopanna and Shapovalov falter in final

Stuttgart:

Rohan Bopanna

missed out on winning his second title of the season, ending runner-up at the ATP Mercedes Cup with partner Denis Shapovalov, here Sunday. The unseeded Indo-Canadian combo lost 5-7 3-6 to top seeds Bruno Soares and John Peers in the final.

Bopanna had won the season-opening Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune with compatriot Divij Sharan.

It was third tournament together for Bopanna and the Canadian, having competed at Indian Wells and Miami Masters before. AGENCIES

Davis Cup

Italy beat India 3-1

Amitava Dasgupta, No grass effect: Italy beat India 3-1, February 3, 2019: The Times of India

Doubles Pair Of Bopanna And Sharan Earns Consolation Win

Italy overcame a blip on Saturday morning to conquer India 3-1 and march into the Davis Cup Finals.

Down for the count after the opening day itself, the home team salvaged pride courtesy Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan’s come-from-behind victory over Simone Bolleli and Matteo Berrettini. The Indian pair’s 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 triumph had the capacity crowd at South Club baying for more. But Prajnesh Gunneswaran once again cut a sorry figure to surrender 1-6, 4-6 to Andreas Seppi.

As India return to the zonal level for the umpteenth time, after being outclassed in the singles rubbers on their chosen surface at home, the same old question will keep haunting the tennis fraternity: where are the singles players who can win us at least two matches out of four?

Captain Mahesh Bhupathi, however, saw no reason for despair. “These boys are working their way up. Prajnesh was 300 last year, Ram (Ramanathan) is on his way up. Yuki (Bhambri) is back after injury. Once we have a fully fit team, I don’t see why we can’t make Madrid.”

That looks a distant dream after seeing the country’s latest hope Prajnesh — on the verge of breaking into the top 100 for the first time in a lateblooming career — fail to force a single break point in two matches, leave alone win a set. Against Seppi, the Indian earned a mere two points on the Italian’s serve in the opening set. He did marginally better in the second, managing to take Seppi to deuce once in five service games.

If that is a commentary on Prajnesh’s quality of returning, his serving didn’t pass muster either. In a remarkably dismal coincidence for the left-hander, he dropped serve first up. Starting off with two forehand errors, Prajnesh saved a break point only to hand Seppi the early break.

Prajnesh showed some fight in the second set, staving off five break points in the third game before succumbing after a faulty approach shot. Seppi was happy to spar from the baseline, aware that Prajnesh will falter. And when the Indian ventured to the net, following up a serve or after a long exchange, Seppi passed him comfortably.

The day started on a bright note as the 32-year-old Divij, playing only his second Davis Cup match, combined with Bopanna to turn it from being a break down in the final set.The left-handed Divij provided the early spark, holding serve easily, hustling the Italians with some sharp net play and attacking Bolleli’s second serve. The Indians missed that chance in the fourth game and were themselves under pressure on Bopanna’s serve in game 9.

India beat Pakistan 4-0

Kumaraswamy K, Dec 1, 2019 Times of India

Pune: India wrapped up the formalities in double quick time to sweep Pakistan 4-0 in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group 1 tie in Nur-Sultan and advance to the World Group Qualifying round on Saturday.

Leander Paes and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan needed 52 minutes to beat Pakistan’s twin 17-year-olds, Muhammad Shoaib and Huzaifa Abdul Rehman, 6-1, 6-3 to seal the victory before Sumit Nagal bulldozed 22-year-old Yousaf Khalil 6-1, 6-0 in 32 minutes to complete the drubbing in the capital city of Kazakhstan. The fifth rubber was not played.

India will travel to Croatia for the World Group Qualifying clash on March 6-7.

PAES TIES SANTANA

While it was Jeevan’s Cup debut, Paes was making an unexpected return to the Indian team after a gap of 18 months. And the doubles win meant the 46-year-old legend tied Spain’s Manuel Santana for fourth place in the all-time list of overall wins. Paes is now 92-35 while Santana is 92-38. Italian Nicola Pietrangeli tops the chart at 120-44.

“It was fun playing with Jeevan, it was his first Davis Cup match. Right from the beginning, he did everything right. He found my laundry which I had lost four days ago, which put me in a great mood,” Paes joked after the win.

“I have known this young man for a long time, he has a big heart. He always loves to play for the flag and put his best foot forward.

“Today really was more about being solid, more than anything, camaraderie and team work. Today it didn’t take a whole lot but just being solid.”

FROM ZERO TO HERO

For Nagal, the two wins in the tie evened his previous two losses. Although the whole tie was lop-sided, the 22-year-old said he would take his two points.

“It was an easy win, but overall it was a good match. I did what I wanted to do. I went for my shots. It was another opportunity to work on my game on the court,” the World No. 131 said. “The losses I had were not great. I was leading 4-1 in the third set and then lost my match in China. Wins count, no matter against whom. It was my last match of the season, I can’t complain. It’s been a long year, a fantastic year.”

Eddie Herr: Manas wins U-12 title

Manas wins U-12 title at Eddie Herr Pune:

Pune’s 11-year-old Manas Dhamne scripted a new chapter in the history of Indian tennis by winning the Under-12 boys’ singles title at the prestigious Eddie Herr International junior tennis championships in Bradendton, Florida, on Saturday.

Dhamne, who was seeded fourth and had not dropped a set until the final, overcame a slow start to get the better of American third seed Maxwell Exsted 3-6, 6-0, 10-6 in the final.

Fed Cup: Kazakhstan beat India 3-0

February 9, 2019: The Times of India

India’s aspirations of qualifying for the Fed Cup World Group were dashed after hosts Kazakhstan thrashed them 3-0 in a Pool A tie here on Friday. Neither Ankita Raina nor Karman Kaur Thandi could win their singles rubbers losing to their respective opponents in straight sets and it will take some more time to realise their aspirations of making it among the elites.

It was always an uphill task for the Indians to beat the higher-ranked home players but inspirational performance by Ankita against the same players last year had raised visions of an upset.

Fed Cup: India ranked 4^th

February 10, 2019: The Times of India

India ended its campaign at the Fed Cup with a fourth place finish after losing the classification tie 1-2 to Korea as the team badly missed injured Karman Kaur Thandi, who did not play. Captain Vishal Uppal handed national champion Mahak Jain her Fed Cup debut after a groin strain forced Karman out of the tie.

The diminutive Mahak played her heart out before losing steam towards the end for a 2-6 6-3 1-6 defeat against Na Ri Kim. Like on many occasions, Ankita came out to level the tie as she outplayed Sunam Jiong 6-3 6-3.

The doubles became decisive but Ankita and Prarthana Thombare lost the close rubber 4-6 4-6 to the Korean team of Su Jeong Jang and Kim.

Indian Wells

Prajnesh pulls off Paire upset

Damayanti Dasgupta, Prajnesh pulls off Paire upset at Indian Wells, March 9, 2019: The Times of India

It was a dream debut for Prajnesh Gunneswaran in an ATP Masters event. The 29-year old from Chennai picked up a straight sets 7-6, 6-4 win over Frenchman Benoit Paire to move into the second round of the Indian Wells meet where he will face world No. 18 Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili.

The world No. 97 won 72% of the points on first serve but it was his return game that made the difference against Paire. He saved five out of eight break points he faced and converted four of the six break opportunities he got on Paire’s serve.

ITF women, Solapur: Ankita wins singles title

Ankita wins singles title

Ankita Raina defeated Britain’s Naiktha Bains 6-3, 6-3 in an hour and 25 minutes to win the singles crown at the $25,000 ITF women’s tennis event in Solapur on Sunday. It was the second title of the season for the 26-year-old Ankita who had earlier triumphed in Singapore.

Junior Davis Cup

India beats Indonesia 3-0

April 10, 2019: The Times of India

India blank Indonesia 3-0 in junior Davis Cup

Bangkok: After being drubbed by New Zealand, the junior Indian Davis Cup team blanked Indonesia 3-0 with Ajay Malik winning both his singles and doubles matches in the Asia-Oceania final qualifying matches. Ajay put India ahead with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Moh Gunawan Trismuwantara in the opening singles. Sushant Dabas then sealed the tie for India by defeating Nauvaldo Jati Agatra in the second singles. In the inconsequential doubles rubber, Ajay and Divesh Gahlot came back from a set down to beat Agatra and Lucky Candra Kurniawan 6-7(6) 6-2 10-4. India next play Australia, who are favourites to top the group.

India loses 1-2 to Australia

Junior Davis Cup team loses 1-2 to Australia, April 10, 2019: The Times of India

Bangkok: The junior Indian Davis Cup team finished third in four-team Pool D after losing its last round robin league match 1-2 to Australia. Ajay Malik could take only two games in the opening singles, losing 0-6 2-6 to Phliip Luke Sekulic in just 53 minutes.

Paris Masters QFs: Bopanna-Shapovalov lose

Bopanna-Shapovalov pair bows out of Paris Masters

India’s top doubles player Rohan Bopanna, along with his partner Denis Shapovalov of Canada, suffered a narrow defeat against Russian duo of Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublov in the quarter-finals to crash out of the Paris Masters here. The Indo-Canadian duo fought hard for over 80 minutes before losing 5-7, 7-6, 8-10 against the Russian pair to bow out of the ATP Masters 1000

Prajnesh beats world No. 18

Damayanti Dasgupta, March 11, 2019: The Times of India

As Nikoloz Basilashvili’s forehand went wide, Prajnesh Gunneswaran clenched his fist and looked up — he seemed to have proved a point to himself. The 29-year-old had after all stunned the world No. 18 to achieve one of the biggest wins of his career so far, advancing to the third round of the Indian Wells ATP Masters event.

The qualifier, ranked 79 placed below Basilashvili, needed two hours and 31 minutes to win 6-4, 6-7(6), 7-6(4) and set up a third round clash against the big serving Ivo Karlovic. Even if he loses that match, Prajnesh will find himself in the 80s in the next world rankings.

But there wasn’t much of a celebration after the win. “I am trying to stay really calm and may be that is the reason why I have consciously toned down my celebration. But I am sure if I really manage to go deep into the tournament I can assure you the intensity of my celebration will change,” Prajnesh told TOI after his win.

Rutuja repeats doubles feat in Nigeria

Pune girl Rutuja Bhosale combined with Brazilian Laura Pigossi for the second successive week to claim their second doubles title in Lagos, Nigeria. Rutuja and Laura, the top seeds, overcame India’s Prarthana Thombare and Sandra Samir of the Egypt 6-3, 4-7 (3), 10-6 in the final.

Meanwhile, Ankita Raina and her Dutch partner Rosalie van der Hoek faltered in the doubles final of the ITF event in Sozhou, China. Ankita and Rosalie went down 6-3, 3-6, 5-10 to home favourites Xinyu Jiang and Qianhui Tang in the summit clash.

St Petersburg Open

 Divij wins St Petersburg title

Sep 23, 2019: The Times of India

Divij wins title in Russia

Pune:

Divij Sharan won the second doubles title on the ATP Tour this season and the fifth of his career as he triumphed with Slovakian Igor Zelenay at the $1.2 million St Petersburg Open in Russia.

Sharan, world ranked 49, and No. 67 Zelenay defeated Matteo Berrettini and Simone Bolelli of Italy 6-3, 3-6, 10-8 in the final of the hard court event. “We played together for the first time. We grew stronger as a team match by match,” Sharan said after the victory.

The 33-year-old Delhi lad had earlier clinched the trophy with compatriot Rohan Bopanna at the Maharashtra Open, the season’s first tournament in Pune in January. For the 36-year-old Zelenay, it was his maiden ATP title. TNN

Wimbledon

Prajnesh’s campaign ends

Prajwal Hegde, July 2, 2019: The Times of India

Milos Raonic rode on a combination of serve and nerve to overpower India’s Prajnesh Gunneswaran 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 6-2 on a newly-built Court No.12 at the All England club. The 6 ft 5’ Canadian, the 2016 finalist and seeded 15ththis time, mixed his play well in the first set when he was still settling into the match to eventually speed away with a first-round Wimbledon win, closing out in 1 hour and 48 minutes.

Raonic of the thunderous serve, held at love in the opening game to set the tone for the match. If the first exchanges were about the pace of serve, Raonic’s delivery climbing to 133 mph, on which Gunneswaran won the first point against the serve in the match. The left-handed Indian’s counter came down at 124 mph. In a matter of a few games, the 15thseed realized that he wasn’t going to blaze past his opponent on the power punch, and quickly started mixing his play, using the court, soft touch and cutting angles. The 29-year-old was up to the task, refusing to succumb, to the pressure of serving second and pushing the first set to tie-break.

The Canadian didn’t win the shootout just by virtue of being the bigger server, he was also the more solid player as the Indian’s errors on the second serve cost him dear. That’s not to say Raonic didn’t produce the stellar serve, he flexed muscle with a 139 mph delivery.

Raonic broke the world No.94 in the first game of the second set.

2020

ABN Amro World Tournament: Bopanna-Shapovalov in SF

Bopanna-Shapovalov pair in Rotterdam semifinals

Rotterdam:

India’s Rohan Bopanna and his Canadian partner Denis Shapovalov advanced to the men’s doubles semifinals of the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament with an impressive win over fourth seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau here. The unseeded Indo-Canadian combine beat the Romanian-Dutch pairing of Tecau and Rojer 6-2, 3-6, 10-7 in a quarterfinal.

Bopanna and Shapovalov had a decent first serve percentage of 67 and won three of the seven break points on offer. They next meet the winners of the quarterfinal between Henri Kontinen and Jan-Lennard Struff, and, Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski. PTI

India in Fed Cup playoffs for the first time

March 9, 2020: The Times of India

The Indian Fed cup team created history by progressing to the playoffs for the first time ever with Ankita Raina leading the side to a 2-1 win over Indonesia in Dubai. Ankita on Saturday night pulled off crucial singles win against talented Aldila Sutjiadi to lock the tie 1-1 after Rutuja Bhosale suffered a crushing defeat against an unranked Priska Madelyn Nugroho.

Up against the 16-year-old Indonesian, who is ranked15th on the ITF junior circuit, Rutuja lost 3-6, 6-0, 3-6 in an hour and 43 minutes in the opening singles. Ankita, who lost her previous two singles, demolished the challenge of talented Aldila Sutjiadi 6-3, 6-3 in the second rubber. She then combined with seasoned Sania Mirza to beat Sutjiyadi and Nugroho 7-6 (4), 6-0 to seal India’s place in the playoffs where they will take on either Latvia or the Netherlands in April.

They overcame a sluggish start as they were trailing 1-4 but regrouped to dominate the set. India finished second in the six-team group with four straight wins after losing the opening tie to China, who remained unbeaten in the tournament.

Since earning their place back in the Asia/ Oceania Group I in 2016, India remained in the regional group. With the rise of Ankita, things began to improve. Rutuja also played a key role as she provided winning starts in a few ties, sharing the burden with Ankita. Sania’s return to Fed Cup after four years also helped as her inspirational presence and guidance helped the side immensely. AGENCIES

Davis Cup: Paes’ 30-year dream ends as India loses

Paes’ 30-year Davis Cup dream ends as India lose Paris:

India’s Leander Paes went down fighting as his dream of crowning his 30-year Davis Cup career with a place at the finals ended on Saturday. Paes, 46, has played for India in every Davis Cup season bar one since his debut in 1990 but went to the qualifier tie in Zagreb against two-time champions Croatia having already announced that 2020 would be his last year on tour.

With India trailing 2-0 overnight, Paes rolled back the years, linking up with 40-year-old Rohan Bopanna to defeat Mate Pavic and Franko Skugor 6-3, 6-7 (9/11), 7-5 to keep their country’s faint hopes of making the finals alive.

However, former US Open champion Marin Cilic then ruthlessly crushed that ambition with a quickfire 6-0, 6-1 demolition of Sumit Nagal. “This was going to be my last match but the captain (Rohit Rajpal) said something to me after the match,” Paes told daviscup.com, hinting that he could still play in the September play-offs. “I will leave it to the captain because whoever plays, the best thing needs to be done and the best decision needs to be made.”

Fed Cup

India beat Uzbekistan

Rutuja, Ankita help India beat Uzbekistan in Fed Cup

Dubai: Rutuja Bhosale recorded a come-from-behind win before country's No. 1 player Ankita Raina won the second singles as India secured the Fed Cup tie against Uzbekistan by taking an unassailable 2-0 lead here on Wednesday. Rutuja defeated Akgul Amanmuradova 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the opening singles to put India ahead. Ankita then humbled Sabina Sharipova to seal the tie in India's favour. AGENCIES

Ankita brings India back

Ankita brings India back, March 8, 2020: The Times of India

Dubai:

Ankita Raina pulled off a crucial win after Rutuja Bhosale suffered a crushing defeat against an unranked Priska Madelyn Nugroho as India were locked 1-1 with Indonesia in a crucial Fed Cup tie. India have never gone beyond the Asia/ Oceania Group I in their Fed Cup history and they now need to win the decisive doubles to seal their place in the play-offs.

Up against the 16-year-old Indonesian, who is ranked 15th on the ITF junior circuit, Rutuja lost 3-6 6-0 3-6 in one hour and 43 minutes in the opening singles of the crucial tie. Ankita, who lost her previous two singles, demolished the challenge of talented Aldila Sutjiadi 6-3 6-3 in the second rubber to keep India in the hunt. Ankita and Sania Mirza, who won the decisive doubles too, will now take on Sutjiadi and Priska in their final match of the competition. PTI

ITF women’s tennis, Jodhpur: Ankita wins title

Ankita wins second title on trot:

Ankita Raina asserted her supremacy yet again by clinching the $25,000 ITF women’s tennis title in Jodhpur, with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Turkey’s Berfu Cengiz in the final, on Sunday. It was the 27-year-old Ankita’s second title in a row, following her success in Nonthaburi, Thailand, last week and her seventh in a $25,000 tournament.

Nonthaburi ITF: Ankita wins doubles title

Ankita wins Nonthaburi ITF doubles title again

Nonthaburi: Ankita Raina won her third title in two weeks when she triumphed in the final of the USD 25000 ITF women's doubles event with partner Bibiane Schoofs on Saturday. The top seeded Indo-Dutch team fought off the challenge of Miyabi Inoue and Jia-Qi Kang 6-2 3-6 10-7 in the summit clash.

Poonam lone Indian in Team of Tournament

Dubai: Leg-spinner Poonam Yadav was the lone Indian to make the ICC Women’s T20 playing XI of the World Cup, which featured teenage sensation Shafali Verma as the 12th player and was dominated by champions Australia. Five players from Australia’s victorious team made the side of the tournament. Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning, Jess Jonassen and Megan Schutt were included along with four England players.

The side was pulled together by a selection panel featuring commentators and former international players Ian Bishop, Anjum Chopra and Lisa Sthalekar, journalist Raf Nicholson and ICC representative Holly Colvin, the ICC said in a statement. PTI The team: Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, Nat Sciver, Heather Knight, Meg Lanning (capt), Laura Wolvaardt, Jess Jonassen, Sophie Ecclestone, Anya Shrubsole, Megan Schutt, Poonam Yadav. 12th player: Shafali Verma.

2021

Australian Open Qualifiers

A

Ankita moves to final round, Ram bows out of Oz Open qualifiers

Melbourne : India’s top-ranked women’s player Ankita Raina moved to the final round of the Australian Open Qualifiers with a gutsy threeset win over world number 118 Katarina Zavatska but it was curtains for Ramkumar Ramanathan in the men’s singles. In the women’s singles qualifiers being held in Dubai, Ankita overcame a second-set lapse to win 6-2 2-6 6-3 in the second round against the Ukrainian. However, Ramkumar lost his second round match 3-6 2-6 to Chinese Taipei’s Tung-Lin Wu.

Davis Cup: India lose to Finland

Sep 19, 2021: The Times of India

Espoo (Finland):

Rohan Bopanna and Ramkumar Ramanathan blew their chances in the must-win doubles match as India lost the World Group I tie 1-3 to hosts Finland in the Davis Cup.

Captain Rohit Rajpal changed the doubles combination by pairing Bopanna with Ramkumar instead of left-handed Divij Sharan but they lost the crucial match 6-7(2), 6-7(2) to Henri Kontinen and Harri Heliovaara in one hour and 38 minutes.

Coming into the match down 0-2, Indians needed to win the doubles to stay alive in the tie. Prajnesh later beat Patrik Niklas-Salminen in the dead fourth rubber 6-3, 7-5 while the fifth match was not played.

India will now have to compete in the Play-offs next year to keep their place in the World Group I. PTI

Denmark Masters

Women’s doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy finished runners-up at the Denmark Masters after going down narrowly to top seeds Amalie Magelund and Freja Ravn of Denmark in the final.

The Indian pair, seeded second, squandered an opening game advantage to lose 21-15 19-21 14-21 to the Danish combination in just under an hour’s contest.

Among other Indians, Lakshya Sen had lost in the semis to France’s Christo Popov, while his brother Chirag Sen and Subhankar Dey bowed out in the quarters. In women’s singles, Aakarshi Kashyap was the most impressive but lost the semifinal to fourth seed Dane Julie Dawall Jakobsen.

Wimbledon

Sania-Bopanna reach third-round

Prajwal Hegde, July 8, 2021: The Times of India

The Indian combine of Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna were pipped to the tape by the 14th seeds, Dutchman Jean-Julien Rojer and Slovenian Andreja Klepac, by a 6-3, 3-6, 11-9 margin in a rain-interrupted third-round mixed-doubles clash.

The Indians, who were serving second in the decider, saved four of the five breakpoints they faced. The Dutch-Slovenian pairing did well on their serves and didn’t face a break point in the final essay of the two-hour seven-minute clash.

Earlier, the bits and pieces 29-minute opening set, which Rojer and Klepac took for the loss of three games, was played in three parts on Tuesday. The first time the players exited the court the score was 1-1, the second time it was 3-2.

When the players returned to court No. 2 some 22 hours later on Wednesday, Bopanna and Sania broke Rojer’s serve in the second game of the set and took a 4-1 lead. The early break proved decisive as the Indians levelled scores.

The only break in the decider came in the 20th game when the Dutchman’s forehand sealed the 70-minute third set and the match.

See also

Sania Mirza

Leander Paes