CHENNAI: When the organisers of the Indian Wells Masters put out a statement saying that the tournament was cancelled, Rohan Bopanna was getting ready to board a non-stop flight from Doha to Los Angeles. “That announcement came in the nick of time,” Bopanna laughs when talking about it a day later from his residence in Bengaluru. “I ended up staying at the (Doha) airport for 17 hours. I didn’t want to go out because of the situation (threat of coronavirus).”
The cancellation of the tournament — the year’s first Masters event — has meant that Bopanna will spend the next week to 10 days in Bengaluru. “If I was already in US, it would have made sense to play in the Challenger (Phoenix). But now that I am here, I will spend some time with the kids at the academy, perhaps train and play with them.” Even though the 40-year-old has lost an opportunity to make headway towards sealing an Olympic birth, the Kodagu lad doesn’t see it that way.
“This gives me some time with my family. I have been away every week since January 1st week. I will view this as 10 days off (...) no big deal.” The worry, though, is because the situation is still developing, there is a possibility for more World Tour events to fall by the wayside. “There are too many ifs and buts to even talk about it right now. Even though Miami Open organisers have said they will carry on with the Miami Masters (beginning March 23), there are people who have tested positive in the area. Other events in April and May — Rome Masters, Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open — could also potentially come in the firing line. “Too many logistics, this is beyond the control of tennis players. We cannot really do anything right now,” is how Bopanna summed it up.
When the conversation shifted to India’s Davis Cup encounter against Croatia, Bopanna was rueful. “We had our chances (to beat them),” he said. Leander Paes and he combined to give India a point but that proved to be a consolation in the end as the singles players lost their matches. “The only way we are going to get into the Davis Cup finals is when we win the singles matches,” he said. “Prajnesh’s (Gunneswaran) match (against Borna Gojo) was winnable. If we had won that, that would have more put more pressure on Marin (Cilic) and anything could have happened (...) but then, these things happen.”