It’s not everyday that you find a certain Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic practising on adjacent courts. And for someone making his Grand Slam debut, this is a sight to behold.
That’s exactly what India’s Divij Sharan and Purav Raja felt when they hit the courts at the All England Club a fortnight ago. Having qualified for the main draw of Wimbledon, the duo had a memorable outing, getting a glimpse of all the big names in the tennis circuit. Be it Roger Federer, Tim Henman or our very own Vijay Amritraj.
Though it didn’t turn out to be a dream debut for them, it was another step forward for Indian tennis with five men making the doubles draw. They squandered a two-set lead to lose 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 4-6 to American Nicholas Monroe and Simon Stadler of Germany in the first round but that didn’t dampen their spirits.
“It was too close a match and they were the better players. We have beaten them before in the Challengers before but it just wasn’t our day. We lost the momentum in between and failed to capitalise. We did well in the fourth set but couldn’t convert it into a win and the fifth set was a dog fight,” said Purav.
Divij felt that the five-setter got the better of them. “We are used to playing three sets and here it was best of five. The energy levels were a bit down and they are a younger pair too. But overall, I am happy with the performance. When I played there as a junior, I was completely blank but this time I was relaxed and aware of what I was doing,” he added.
The presence of their predecessors, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, did wonders. “We were hitting balls with them and were constantly in touch with them right from our qualifiers. Their presence motivated us a lot,” said Divij.
It was the experience of a lifetime for the duo, playing at the oldest Slam. “It was surreal,” said Purav, and his partner couldn’t agree more. “I love playing on grass and Wimbledon is my favourite Slam. It’s like the heaven of tennis. A beautiful experience! It was fun being there,” added Divij.
And the star-studded arena was an icing on the cake. “I was having lunch with my wife Amisha, and guess who was sitting on the next table – Roger Federer! You don’t get to see these guys so often, so seeing them at such close quarters is definitely a memorable experience,” Purav said.
It’s only been a few months since these two have started playing together, but this lefty-righty combo is turning out to be a winning pair already. Besides winning a title in Kyoto, they have reached three other finals. “We complement each other well. He is fiery and I am solid, plus this lefty-hand–right-hand combination works wonders for us,” the 27-year-old Purav said. And Divij summed it up simply, saying, “We share a great rapport.” It’s early days but the pair are quite confident of being the next Lee-Hesh.
After their Wimbledon stint, both players reached their career best doubles ranking – 89 for Divij and 115 for Purav. They look to take this partnership to greater heights, with their immediate goal being to make the cut for the US Open. Divij’s next stop is Newport, where he will play alongside Croatian Ivo Karlovic and Purav will join him later in Colombia.
Till then, the memories of strawberries and cream will keep them going, though Divij likes it with punch of Nutella!