CHENNAI: Saketh Myneni couldn’t have asked for a better birthday. The Asian Games gold medallist, who turned 27 on Sunday, lifted the biggest title of his singles career — the Indore Open ATP Challenger event — to keep the best stage of his career going strong.
The Vijayawada-born player, known for his booming serve, is thrilled with his rich vein of form and recognises the importance of the occasion. After all, how many people win titles on the day they were born? “It’s a really good feeling to give myself this title as a birthday present. It’s the first time I’ve played on my birthday for a while since the juniors. The trophy was celebration enough and then I cut a cake on the court,” he laughs.
Facing Aleksandr Nedovyesov of Kazakhstan, the top seed and World No 118 in the final, Saketh refused to be overcome by nerves. Instead, his two-hour 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3 triumph showed his commitment to playing first-strike tennis. “The biggest thing for me was to stay aggressive throughout the match. I won the first set handily and even though I lost the second on a tie-break, my game plan was spot on. In the third it was a matter of holding my nerve and I managed to do so. I tried to compete hard instead of concentrating on the fact that he was ranked more than 300 places above me,” Saketh says.
The victory carries an additional ranking bonus as well for the double major in Finance and Economics from the University of Alabama. World No 451 before the event, Saketh has leapfrogged 168 places to 283. As the saying goes, hard work does pay dividends.
Comparing his latest claim to fame to the Incheon medals, he feels the difference is too great. In his eyes, bringing laurels while representing one’s country carries an emotional weight, while an individual win is something that’s more personal.
But the life of a professional seldom features any breaks. From Indore, Saketh has already reached Pune for another Challenger event. Back-to-back events always test a player’s mental and physical fortitude and Saketh knows that only too well. “Hopefully, I’ll do well in Pune as well. Like in Indore, I’m playing singles and doubles (with Sanam Singh). I feel fine physically and can’t wait to hit the courts.”
Among his many plans for 2015, there’s one that is familiar — keeping fit. Saketh knows it’s one of the keys to success. “My next goal is to stay healthy for an entire season so that I can build on the good results that I have achieved in 2014. That would be splendid,” he signs off.