CHENNAI: If we look at the history of Chennai Open, only one Indian has reached the final of this ATP event. Somdev Devvarman did it in 2009 when he was at the peak of his powers. His then manager Vishal Uppal attributed Somdev’s rise to fitness and having a regular coach. “Somdev has the best pair of legs in Indian tennis. That’s the secret of his success. Apart from skill, fitness is very important,” said Uppal.
Devvarman is not playing the 2017 Chennai Open this year, but he is a mentor for Prajnesh Gunneswaran. Meanwhile, almost all the foreign players assembled here have a personal coach and a trainer. “Yes, it is always good to have a coach and trainer. I will use the inputs from Somdev who will be my mentor this time. It is indeed a disadvantage for us not having a travelling coach and fitness trainer,” said Prajnesh, who trains in Germany.
Is the AITA not doing enough for the players? “It is not like that. Only if you have money you can help. It is a process and things will get better with time. On the home front, the TNTA and Karti Chidambaram, in particular, have been very supportive of the players. Ramkumar (Ramanathan), (N) Sriram (Balaji) to name a few have all benefitted from training abroad,’’ said Prajnesh.
When a senior AITA official was quizzed why the AITA could not support its top players on a regular basis with a travelling coach and fitness trainer, the official shot back, saying: “let them produce results.” However, on the professional circuit players manage their own finances. In India, because the junior players do not have the resources the association helps them with coaches.
The actual problem lies when a player graduates from junior to senior level. “At the junior level, players have a coach. Once they make it to the seniors they have to be on their own. Generally, we groom them for this phase. But once they turn professional, they have to look after themselves. This is where they are found wanting,” said Hiten Joshi, CEO of TNTA and travelling coach of Ramkumar.
Ramkumar says that travelling coach and fitness trainer helps players to stay focused. “I have had a travelling coach on and off. But if I have one of a regular basis it will certainly improve my performance chart,” he said.
When the TNTA was asked if it could provide a coach and a trainer on a permanent basis. “We have helped him train in Spain. Now he is a professional and started earning money.”
Noted trainer Ramji Srinivasan says that tennis is no longer a serve and volley game. Players are a lot more aggressive and grind you by making you trek to both ends of the court. “Our players are still alien to modern fitness drills. It is not just about running, or pushups or weights. We have Dynavision, fit light and Vertimax which helps a person improve reaction time, better hand-eye co-ordination, concentration and court mobility. We have specific programmes.”
ashok.v@newindianexpress.com