KOCHI: It was at the age of 20 as an emerging star that Arjun Kadhe decided to quit the domestic scene and cross the Atlantic to ply his trade in the university circuit of the United States. Back after three-and-a-half years, he is now reaping the benefits of the American sojourn.
Third-seeded Kadhe brushed aside top-seed Carlos Boluda-Purkiss of Spain 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to progress to the final of the ITF India F4 Futures at Trivandrum Tennis Club on Friday. In the final, he will face veteran Vijay Sundar Prashanth who beat Brazil’s Thales Turini 7-5, 6-1. “It was a pretty close match against Carlos. He had beaten me twice during the last few weeks at the F2 and F3 (in Kolkata and Chandigarh). So, it feels great to finally get one over him. It was hot and unlike the previous Futures, this is played on clay. So, things were a little different,” said Kadhe.
The 24-year-old had emerged champion in F1 held at Kalinga in the first week of March where he had defeated Vijay. “I know him well because we play doubles together. He is strong on clay courts and it should be a good match,” said the Pune youth.The stint at Oklahoma State University has helped his rise through the ranks. He partnered Julian Cash to became the first doubles team in Oklahoma’s history to achieve the top spot in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Rankings, collecting 34 wins in the NCAA Doubles Championship.
“It was a great move to make and I am a better player thanks to that decision to test myself abroad. The competition was tough, but Indian tennis has also picked up while I was away. It is more competitive now,” said Kadhe. His first Futures title came at the Vietnam F3 last year. Kadhe has improved his world rankings from 752 at the start of 2018 to 423 in a little under three months with a string of impressive outings. “At the start of the season, I had aimed for a ranking somewhere near 400. That is where I stand now and I should be somewhat happy about it,” he said.
Son of former tennis player Jayant Kadhe, he said there is still plenty of room for improvement. “It is a process and it has been working out well so far. I have to thank my father and mother who support me and travel with me around India for tournaments,” Kadhe said. Kadhe trains under Hemant Bandrey at the PYC Gymkhana Tennis Courts in Pune. “The coach has been very helpful and helped me improve my technique. I should also thank my trainer and physio who have been doing a great job with me,” he said.
adwaidh@newindianexpress.com