CHENNAI : The Indian tennis team for the Asian Games has the right mixture of experience and youth. There are high hopes from the contingent.
However, former Indian Davis Cup star Somdev Devvarman believes that fitness is an issue with the men’s team but he expects the women’s team to come out with flying colours.
“We have a good team, but there are guys who have injury problems. Sumit Nagal is struggling a bit, whereas Prajnesh Gunneswaran is looking healthy. Rohan Bopanna is also potentially struggling with an injury. So it depends how they shape up before the game,’’ said Somdev in an exclusive chat with SS.
Can they get fit before the Asiad begins? “You never know. I hope they can get fit in time. I have been through injuries and I know how difficult it is to get back into shape. So let’s see,’’ replied the 33-year old.
There is a question mark regarding whether the team can live up to expectations. But Somdev feels the women are better equipped to handle the pressure. “Expectations will definitely be there. I expect a couple of medals from our women’s team. Both Ankita Raina and Karman Kaur Thandi are playing well right now and have decent rankings. They can win medals.’’
On the men’s team, he said, “Two medals will be fair, keeping in mind that this time there will be no team event. Obviously the medal tally will lower than that of previous years. In singles, Prajnesh has got a good record against Asians. Ramkumar is high on confidence. “He will probably be the best medal hope at the event. Leander Paes, Bopanna and Divij Sharan are all accomplished players as well. At the moment we do not know who will play with whom. Regardless of who pairs up with whom, we must get a medal,” explained Somdev.
The former BAT trainee believes that Ramkumar Ramanathan, fresh from his Newport experience, will be India’s best bet in the singles category. Somdev reserved special praise for him for coming close to winning an ATP event and believes confidence will propel him to greater heights in the future.“It is an incredible achievement. The conditions out there were perfect for him. He has been playing well over the last year or so. He made good use of the grass court season leading up to Newport. Definitely there will be pressure on him. From experience I can say that when you play for your country and there is a medal at stake, there will certainly be pressure.
“Coming back to Ram’s game, what I like is his serve. Service is his biggest weapon. Apart from his service, he is mentally strong. The grit and determination with which he plays in big matches without getting nervous is his biggest plus point,’’ he added.Even at 45, Paes is still a key player for the country. “I do not know what keeps him going. From what I have seen, he loves the game. The way he has been playing all these years is commendable. He is a great player for India and every time he steps on the court, he is keen to do well.’’