Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label India. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Yuki Bhambri planning to play U.S. Open juniors

For all those who thought tennis prodigy Yuki Bhambri has turned his back on the junior circuit, go eat dirt.

Bhambri told The Indian Tennis Blog he's planning to play the US Open in September.

The Australian Open boys champion and reigning world number one surprised fans by skipping Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year.

An ankle injury did trouble Bhambri just before the French Open, but three days short of his 17th birthday, India's next big tennis hope is hitting balls at a Futures event in sweltering New Delhi instead of cheering compatriots Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza at the All England Club.

There's a method to this madness. Bhambri won back-to-back Futures events in April, helping him reach a career-best men's singles ranking of 650 in June. A win at the F5 event this week would help him zoom up the senior rankings even quicker.

After all, he's hoping to break into the Top-500 by the end of the year.

But what of his ankle injury?

"I think I have fully recovered because the ankle is not bothering me at all," Bhambri told us.

After back-to-back hardcourt Futures in India, the young tennis sensation said he might be headed to Syria to play in a Futures event there.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Tennis Briefs - Sania Mirza loses Pattaya Open final

Reuters, BANGKOK: Russian top seed Vera Zvonareva overcame a tough challenge from a battling Sania Mirza to win the Pattaya Open final 7-5 6-1 on Sunday. For more click here

Indo-Asian News Service, SAN JOSE: India's Rohan Bopanna and Jarkko Nieminen of Finland went down to Czech Radek Stepanek and German Tommy Haas in the $600,000 SAP Open final here. For more click here

Indo-Asian News Service, ROTTERDAM: India's Leander Paes and Czech Lukas Dlouhy went down to top seeds Serbian Nenad Zimonjic and Canada's Daniel Nestor 2-6, 5-7 in the World Tennis Tournament final here Sunday. For more click here

ATP RANKINGS (16 February 2009)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
154 (+1) Devvarman, Somdev
198 (+1) Amritraj, Prakash
321 (+4) Bopanna, Rohan

DOUBLES
5 (0) Bhupathi, Mahesh
7 (0) Paes, Leander
78 (+7) Bopanna, Rohan

WTA RANKINGS (16 February 2009)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
87 (+39) Mirza, Sania
221 (-5) Rao, Sunitha
361 (-2) Lakhani, Isha

DOUBLES
63 (+7) Mirza, Sania
213 (-3) Rao, Sunitha
306 (-5) Uberoi, Shikha

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Tennis Briefs - Injury forces Sania Mirza out of Fed Cup

The Press Trust of India, NEW DELHI: In a big setback to the Indian Fed Cup team, Sania Mirza will miss the upcoming Group I Asia/Oceania zone tie, citing an abdominal injury. For more click here

Indo-Asian News Service, MUMBAI: India's star tennis player Sania Mirza said on Monday that winning the Australian Open mixed doubles title with Mahesh Bhupathi was the best way she could make a comeback in the international circuit. For more click here

The Press Trust of India, NEW DELHI: India's first Australian Open boys' singles champion Yuki Bhambri returned to a warm reception at the Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi on Monday. For more click here

Business Line, MUMBAI: With brands turning cautious on ad spends in the wake of the economic slowdown, it is unlikely that tennis stars Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi would see a fresh line-up of endorsements, despite the duo clinching the mixed doubles finals at the Australian Open tennis tournament. For more click here

ATP RANKINGS (2 February 2009)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
153 (+2) Devvarman, Somdev
205 (+4) Amritraj, Prakash
326 (-9) Bopanna, Rohan

DOUBLES
6 (0) Bhupathi, Mahesh
7 (+3) Paes, Leander
84 (-8) Bopanna, Rohan

WTA RANKINGS (2 February 2009)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
127 (-19) Mirza, Sania
201 (-5) Rao, Sunitha
360 (+1) Lakhani, Isha

DOUBLES
72 (-13) Mirza, Sania
211 (+7) Rao, Sunitha
305 (+4) Uberoi, Shikha

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Tennis Briefs - Sania Mirza in Round 2 of Australian Open

Agence France-Presse, MELBOURNE: Sania Mirza made a successful return from a long-term wrist injury on Monday when she downed Marta Domachowska of Poland in straight sets (6-1, 6-4) at the Australian Open. For more click here

The Press Trust of India, NEW DELHI: His phenomenal performance at the Chennai Open has re-ignited the passion in the men's game in the country but Sania Mirza is hoping that Somdev Devvarman's success will do more than just help tennis shoot up the popularity chart. For more click here

Indo-Asian News Service, NEW DELHI: While Somdev Devvarman is fast emerging as a new Indian tennis star, Yuki Bhambri is seen as another one in the making. For more click here

The Press Trust of India, KOCHI: The four-day All India Lotus Trophy Tennis Tournament will commence here from January 21. For more click here

ATP RANKINGS (19 January 2009)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
155 (-1) Devvarman, Somdev
209 (0) Amritraj, Prakash
317 (-1) Bopanna, Rohan

DOUBLES
6 (0) Bhupathi, Mahesh
10 (0) Paes, Leander
76 (0) Bopanna, Rohan

WTA RANKINGS (19 January 2009)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
108 (-1) Mirza, Sania
196 (0) Rao, Sunitha
361 (0) Lakhani, Isha

DOUBLES
59 (+1) Mirza, Sania
218 (0) Rao, Sunitha
309 (0) Uberoi, Shikha

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW - Somdev Devvarman

Indian tennis sensation Somdev Devvarman spoke to The Indian Tennis Blog about life after his giant-killing run to the final of the 2009 Chennai Open.

How helpful was the 3-week training with Andy Roddick before the Chennai Open. Did it play a part in your performance last week?
It was an incredible experience, training with Andy. He and Coach Larry Stefanki gave me some really good tips. Also training with someone who has been in the top 10 of the world for many years gave me great insight into how hard I need to work. It definitely had a big role in my performance in Chennai.

Any ranking goals for 2009?
I've never set any goals for myself as far as rankings are concerned. I just want to keep working hard and enjoying the hard work. The rankings will take care of themselves.

Any expectations from the Australian Open?
I go into the Australian Open with a lot of confidence as I feel I'm playing well. I have worked hard in the off season to prepare for a good showing in the Australian Open.

Which is your favourite career win - Moya, Karlovic, Kendrick (Lexington)...?
Probably Moya. He has been a former world No. 1 and he has been in top flight tennis for over a decade.

Given the Somdev-mania in India right now, it seems only a matter of time before you are offered your first ad. Will we see you endorsing something soon?
Well, I don't really concern myself with it. I have an excellent Management company in Mamba International and they will look after that aspect. I just want to keep my focus on playing tennis.

(Click here for another interview by Somdev Devvarman to The Indian Tennis Blog in October 2007, more than a year ago -- when he hadn't turned professional yet)

FROM THE ARCHIVES
Somdev Devvarman wins at Lexington, his fourth title in a row

Somdev Devvarman misses out on ACC player honour

Twin triumph for Somdev Devvarman at Rochester

Somdev Devvarman's twin triumph at Florida

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Tennis Briefs - Somdev goes down fighting in Chennai

Reuters, CHENNAI: Third-seeded Croatian Marin Cilic defeated Indian wildcard Somdev Devvarman 6-4 7-6 to win the Chennai Open on Sunday. For more, click here

The Press Trust of India, CHENNAI: The Chennai Open will remain in the city for at least another five years with increased prize money and a title sponsor. For more, click here

The Times of India, BANGALORE: Comeback girl Sania Mirza made a strong statement in the World Team Challenge tennis tournament in Hong Kong on Friday when she dismissed world No.25 Agnes Szavay of Hungary to give the Asia Pacific team a 2-0 win over a Europe side led by world No.1 Jelena Jankovic. For more, click here

Sportstar: By winning the singles title in the under-18 section of the Orange Bowl in Miami, the 16-year-old Yuki Bhambri has not only become the No. 2 in the world junior rankings but also the best hope for 2009. For more, click here

ATP RANKINGS (12 January 2009)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
154 (+48) Devvarman, Somdev
209 (-3) Amritraj, Prakash
316 (+16) Bopanna, Rohan

DOUBLES
6 (0) Bhupathi, Mahesh
10 (0) Paes, Leander
76 (0) Bopanna, Rohan

WTA RANKINGS (12 January 2009)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
107 (-7) Mirza, Sania
196 (0) Rao, Sunitha
361 (0) Lakhani, Isha

DOUBLES
60 (+1) Mirza, Sania
218 (+1) Rao, Sunitha
309 (+1) Uberoi, Shikha

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Tennis Briefs - Security tight for Chennai Open

Reuters, NEW DELHI: Security will be tightened ahead of next week's Chennai Open ATP tennis tournament following the militant attacks in Mumbai, a tournament official said on Monday. For more, click here

The Hindu, HYDERABAD: Ace tennis player Sania Mirza conducted a coaching camp organised by corporate giant GVK Group here on Saturday. For more, click here

The Telegraph, KOLKATA: Indian tennis ace Leander Paes hopes that the next year will be a great one for him in the doubles circuit saying that the indications were already there. For more, click here

The Press Trust of India, NEW DELHI: Sports Ministry's decision to bar athletes with foreign passports from representing the country in international events contradicts the government policy on People of Indian Origin and hence should be reconsidered, Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Shukla said here today. For more, click here

ATP RANKINGS (29 December 2008)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
204 (0) Devvarman, Somdev
210 (0) Amritraj, Prakash
333 (0) Bopanna, Rohan

DOUBLES
6 (0) Bhupathi, Mahesh
10 (0) Paes, Leander
78 (0) Bopanna, Rohan

WTA RANKINGS (29 December 2008)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
101 (0) Mirza, Sania
197 (0) Rao, Sunitha
365 (-3) Lakhani, Isha

DOUBLES
61 (0) Mirza, Sania
221 (0) Rao, Sunitha
312 (+26) Uberoi, Shikha

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Tennis Briefs - Somdev Devvarman training with Andy Roddick

The Press Trust of India, NEW DELHI: Indian Davis Cupper Somdev Devvarman is capping an eventful year with a 10-day training stint with American world number eight Andy Roddick. For more, click here

The Hindu, BANGALORE: Mahesh Bhupathi is hungry for more, now that he has clicked in a big way with his new partner, Mark Knowles of Bahamas in the 2008 season. For more, click here

The Times of India, BANGALORE: Sania Mirza, who until three months ago was struggling to grip a glass of water in her right hand, is back to striking her dreaded forehand with military firepower. For more, click here

The Press Trust of India, KOLKATA: Indian tennis ace Leander Paes has been elected as one of the seven vice-presidents of Bengal Tennis Association (BTA). For more, click here

ATP RANKINGS (8 December 2008)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
204 (+1) Devvarman, Somdev
211 (0) Amritraj, Prakash
332 (-13) Bopanna, Rohan

DOUBLES
6 (0) Bhupathi, Mahesh
10 (0) Paes, Leander
78 (0) Bopanna, Rohan

WTA RANKINGS (8 December 2008)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
101 (0) Mirza, Sania
199 (+1) Rao, Sunitha
341 (+1) Lakhani, Isha

DOUBLES
61 (0) Mirza, Sania
219 (+1) Rao, Sunitha

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Tennis Briefs - Somdev Devvarman, Prakash Amritraj get wildcards for Chennai Open

The Times of India, MUMBAI: These are good times for Somdev Devvarman. Following his success of becoming the highest ranked Indian (201) on the ATP Tour, the 23-year-old has been given a wildcard for the singles main draw of the $450,000 Chennai Open. For more, click here

The Hindu, CHENNAI: IOCL's Rohan Bopanna served his way to the PSPB inter-unit tennis title, defeating defending champion Sunil Kumar Sipaya (IOCL) 6-4, 6-4 in the final at the SDAT Nungambakkam Stadium on Friday. For more, click here

The Press Trust of India, NEW DELHI: Indian junior tennis team remained unconquered to win gold medal at the inaugural Junior South Asian Tennis Championship, which concluded in Dhaka, Bangladesh recently. For more, click here

ATP RANKINGS (17 November 2008)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
204 (-3) Devvarman, Somdev
210 (+4) Amritraj, Prakash
314 (+6) Bopanna, Rohan

DOUBLES
6 (0) Bhupathi, Mahesh
10 (0) Paes, Leander
67 (-6) Bopanna, Rohan

WTA RANKINGS (17 November 2008)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
99 (0) Mirza, Sania
205 (+1) Rao, Sunitha
298 (-6) Lakhani, Isha

DOUBLES
61 (0) Mirza, Sania
227 (+2) Rao, Sunitha

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Tennis Briefs - Somdev Devvarman loses in Nashville final

Indo-Asian News Service, NEW DELHI: India's Somdev Devvarman fought hard but could not stop local favourite Robert Kendrick from winning the $75,000 ATP Challenger in Nashville, US. For more, click here

The Press Trust of India, PUNE: Somdev Devvarman, country's newly-crowned number one singles player, will spearhead the Indian challenge at USD 1,00,000 Asia Cup -- a team event restricted only for Asian players -- to be held here from December 27. For more, click here

ATP RANKINGS (10 November 2008)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
201 (+40) Devvarman, Somdev
214 (-1) Amritraj, Prakash
320 (0) Bopanna, Rohan

DOUBLES
6 (0) Bhupathi, Mahesh
10 (0) Paes, Leander
61 (+1) Bopanna, Rohan

WTA RANKINGS (10 November 2008)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
99 (0) Mirza, Sania
206 (0) Rao, Sunitha
292 (0) Lakhani, Isha

DOUBLES
61 (+1) Mirza, Sania
229 (-25) Rao, Sunitha

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Tennis Briefs - Paes, Bhupathi to take part in 2009 Chennai Open

The Hindu, CHENNAI: Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes confirmed on Monday that they would participate -- with their partners -- in the Chennai Open next year. For more, click here

Courier-Journal, LOUISVILLE: Prakash Amritraj and Jesse Levine defeated Frank Dancevic and Dusan Vemic 6-3, 7-6 (12-10) in the doubles final at the Ford Tennis Championships. For more, click here

The Press Trust of India, NEW DELHI: Yuki Bhambri stamped his authority in the Asia/Oceania zone by wining both the singles and doubles titles in the junior closed championship, which concluded in Indonesia on Sunday. For more, click here

ATP RANKINGS (3 November 2008)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
213 (+1) Amritraj, Prakash
241 (-1) Devvarman, Somdev
320 (+3) Bopanna, Rohan

DOUBLES
6 (+1) Bhupathi, Mahesh
10 (-2) Paes, Leander
62 (0) Bopanna, Rohan

WTA RANKINGS (3 November 2008)
(in brackets - positions lost/gained since last week)
SINGLES
99 (-2) Mirza, Sania
206 (0) Rao, Sunitha
292 (+27) Lakhani, Isha

DOUBLES
62 (0) Mirza, Sania
204 (-45) Rao, Sunitha

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Junior Davis Cup: India beat Brazil 2-1

(Match report from aitatennis.com)

JUNIOR DAVIS CUP (Under 16) GROUP D
(2)INDIA beat BRAZIL 2-1
SAN LUIS POTOSI, Mexico, Sept. 25: India justified its seeding with its win over Brazil, the Indian boys creating history to reach the semifinals. India topped Group D and meets 3rd seeded USA which topped Group C.

Both Saurabh and Yuki played excellent tennis to win their matches in spite of having lost the 1st set in their matches.

In the first singles, Saurabh had 2 break points on Henrique's serve in the 5th and 9th game but could not avail the opportunities. In the 10th game, Saurabh was serving 40-15, but with a missed drop shot and a double fault Saurabh lost the first set 4-6.

In the second set, Saurabh broke Henrique in the 3rd game and again broke in the 7th game. With 2 breaks in hand Saurabh was in command to take the set 6-2.

In the 3rd set, Saurabh broke Henrique in the 3rd, 5th and 7th game to wrap the set by 6-1.

2nd singles: Yuki started with a bang by breaking the Brazilian in the 1st game but could not retain his 1st serve. Both players were playing excellent tennis, Clezar hitting very deep and solid from base line ground strokes did not allow Yuki to make any variations and he broke Yuki in the 6th game and won the 1st set by 6-3.

In the second set Yuki was confident and mixed up his game with surprise drop shots and heavy top spin on opponent's backhand and played at net and did not allow Clezar to get his rhythm and broke his serves in the 4th and 6th game to win the set by 6-1.

In the 3rd set, Clezar was depressed with his game and Yuki broke him in the 1st game, with another break in the 5th game, Yuki was in command and produced excellent strokes to win the set and match by 6-1 and this led India going to semifinals probably for the first time.

In the doubles match, India was represented by Saurabh Singh and SV Abhishek to play with Brazilians and fought very well, Indian pair was leading 5-3 in the 1st set but Saurabh could not hold his serve to take the set and the Brazilian pair recovered soon to win the set in tie breaker.

The second set was again interesting but the Indian combination was not good enough to match the consistent Brazilian pair and lost the set again in a tie-breaker.

India plays semifinals with USA which has a very balanced team with ITF ranking 112 Evan King and Denis Kudla at 138. It is going to be an interesting tie and Indian players are confident to give their best tomorrow.

RESULTS
Saurabh Singh beat Henrique Tsukamoto 4-6,6-2,6-1
Yuki Bhambri beat Guilherme Clezar 3-6,6-1,6-1
Saurabh Singh/Abhishek Sakleshpu Venkata lost to Henrique Tsukamoto/Tiago Fernandes 6-7(6),6-7(5)

Friday, September 26, 2008

Junior Davis Cup: India beat Great Britain 2-1

(Match report from aitatennis.com)

JUNIOR DAVIS CUP (Under 16) GROUP D
(2)INDIA beat (8)GREAT BRITAIN 2-1
SAN LUIS POTOSI, Mexico, Sept. 24-25: Yuki Bhambri once again played the role of a saviour as he won both his singles and doubles matches to help India beat Great Britain 2-1 in the rain-interrupted Group D league match in the Junior Davis Cup finals.

The Indian team, aiming for its first Davis Cup crown, is now one win away from booking a berth in the semifinals.

It must beat Brazil in the next league match to make the last four grade.

The Indian team of Yuki and Saurabh Singh beat Ashley Hewitt and George Morgan 6-4,7-6 to seal the tie, which was locked 1-1 after the singles matches.

The doubles match had been stopped due to heavy rains when the Indian pair was trailing 5-6 in the second set.

Yuki trounced James Marsalek 6-1, 6-0 in the second singles to bring India back in the tie after Saurabh had lost the opening singles to Ashley Hewitt 4-6,7-6(5),4-6.

RESULTS
Saurabh Singh lost to Ashley Hewitt 4-6,7-6(5),4-6
Yuki Bhambri beat James Marsalek 6-1,6-0
Yuki Bhambri/Saurabh Singh beat Ashley Hewitt/George Morgan 6-4,7-6(6)

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Junior Davis Cup: India beat Mexico 2-1

(Match report from aitatennis.com)

JUNIOR DAVIS CUP (Under 16) GROUP D
(2)INDIA beat MEXICO 2-1
SAN LUIS POTOSI, Mexico, Sept. 23: In the first match, Saurabh Singh started with conviction and broke his opponent in the 2nd game, takes a lead 2-0 early.

After that he lost the momentum and nothing worked for him after that, he was not been able to hit the ball with confidence. Alexis took the advantage of his low confidence and never allowed him to equal the deficit. Which cost him the match and India was down 0-1.

In the second singles match, Yuki was broken in the first game and it seemed that he will not recover from it, but quickly the pendulum swung in India's favour as he broke back his opponent.

Yuki could not hold his serve again and went down 1-4, he was adjusting to the court conditions and produced good backhands and serves and took the set 7-5, after that it was no looking back for him and he won his match easily. Which bring back India in the race with 1-1.

Everything was depending now on the doubles match, and the supporters for India were hoping that they will win.

As expected, Indian boys dominated from the beginning and won the set 6-1, It was looking that both Yuki/Saurabh were desperate to win it and they proved it by winning eight games without a break in serve.

In the ninth game they were down 0-40, but they managed to get all the three points and managed to deuce and then won it, In the 10th game Yuki's started to serve to win for the match, but a 40-30 he missed the opportunity to finish up the things and held in deuce, but that was just the matter of time and finally he managed to win points with serving big. India won 2-1 over the Mexicans.

India will play the loser of the match between Brazil and Great Britain.

RESULTS
Saurabh Singh lost to Alexis Carlos 4-6,2-6
Yuki Bhambri beat Fernando Larrea 7-5,6-1
Yuki Bhambri/Saurabh Singh beat Alexis Carlos/Daniel Fernandez 6-1,6-4

(Official Photo by Sergio Llamera)

Monday, September 22, 2008

For India, so near, and yet so far

It is often said that anything is possible in Davis Cup, but in Bucharest the form guide held up to scrutiny. Host nation Romania entered its World Group Play-off against India as firm favourites, with a substantial edge in terms of rankings and clay court experience.

This would, in the end, prove enough to keep them in the World Group for another year – even if, as expected, India's ever-reliable doubles stars, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, came up with the goods in the doubles rubber for the umpteenth time.

"Of course we are happy, although we expected this," smiled Romanian captain Adrian Marcu at the completion of the tie. "I said three days ago it would be 4-1, and it was 4-1."

He added: "The Indian players have a lot of experience of playing on grass courts or hard courts, whereas our players spend at least 70% of their careers on clay. It's a bit of a different game and that was a big advantage for us."

But while the Romanians began the final day's play with a 2-1 lead, the scenario could have been quite different.

In losing the opening singles rubber on Friday to the local No. 2, Victor Crivoi, Indian No. 1 Prakash Amritraj did well to win the second set from behind – but he had also been ahead in the first set before losing it.

With a two-set lead, the 24-year-old's swashbuckling serve and volley strategy might have kept Crivoi off balance long enough to secure a momentum-changing win.

Victor Hanescu, the Romanian No. 1, would still have been too strong for Tour newcomer Somdev Devvarman, but given the closeness of the dead rubber between Devvarman and Crivoi on Sunday afternoon – Devvarman served for the match at 5-3 in the second set, only to wake up when trailing 0-5 in the third – a live Devvarman-Crivoi rubber on the first day might have cast a different light on proceedings.

Indian singles: work in progress

All of this is moot, of course, leaving captain Shiv Prakash Misra, himself a former Davis Cup player, to ponder the challenges of building up his side’s strength in singles.

Devvarman, a rookie at 23, clearly knows that although he has improved his ranking by 800 places in the last four months, it will only get harder from now on, while Amritraj, who turns 25 next month, had never before played on clay at this level.

"I think Leander and Mahesh are going to be around for quite some time," Misra said of his thirty something doubles stalwarts, who are the fourth most successful Davis Cup pairing in history (in winning Saturday’s doubles rubber, Paes actually moved to equal second place on the list of individual doubles wins, at 35-9, and third outright in overall wins, at 83-31).

"They are still fit and genuinely committed to the team. But with four singles and one doubles ties, winning the doubles is not enough."

A dignified gentleman who was coerced by his players into singing the Indian national anthem at the official dinner as a means of initiation, added: "When you’ve got a team of four with two specialist doubles players it's tough. But I think with time Prakash and Somdev are going to improve. They are going to learn how to last five sets and to close out a match at the right time, and they are going to be serving their country for a long time."

Romanian prospects

It's back to the Asia/Oceania zonal competition for India, Romania has kept its treasured place in the World Group.

The team could be forgiven for hoping their first round opponents aren't of a Gallic inclination, having fallen to France at the first hurdle in each of the past two years.

Like Misra, captain Marcu has a blend of experience to work with; 27-year-old Hanescu is undoubtedly at the core of the team, but Crivoi, whose Davis Cup record before this weekend was a drubbing at the hands of Korea’s Hyung-Taik Lee in 2006, has clearly shifted gears as well.

"I could have let one of the other players play the dead rubber but I wanted the experience," the 26-year-old said after his comeback win over Devvarman. "I feel great – it has given me a lot of confidence."

Furthermore, with Romanian legend Ilie Nastase watching on from the stands, the country's doubles team of Adrian Cruciat and Horia Tecau put on a boisterous display against Bhupathi and Paes. While they were let down by loose shots at key moments, their performance augured well for the future.

"Yes, that was a little bit unexpected, because it was their first Davis Cup match and it was against two great players," Marcu admitted. "They had their chances, were a break ahead in the first set and a break ahead in the second set, so they put a good match together. Hopefully we can develop them into a great team."

(Official report from the Davis Cup website)

(Official Photos by Robert Ghement)

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Somdev Devvarman in Davis Cup spotlight

It may be the biggest test yet of his fledgling tennis career but Somdev Devvarman is oozing confidence ahead of India's crucial Davis Cup World Group playoff tie against Romania this weekend.

The 23-year-old Devvarman, India's next big tennis hope, told the Indian Tennis Blog he hoped to give the tie his best shot.

On the eve of the Davis Cup tie against Romania, how confident do you feel of India's victory?
I feel like India is very prepared for this tie. We are all playing good tennis right now and we're looking forward to some great matches this weekend.

Do you feel you are in the best form possible for this tie?
I definitely feel like I'm playing some great tennis right now. I wouldn't say my best yet but let's hope it comes out when I really need it this weekend.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Prajnesh Gunneswaran sets sights on ATP Top 100

And this Chennai lad may soon get there, given how much Prajnesh Gunneswaran has gained from stints at the Spain Tennis Academy in Barcelona under the tutelage of Jonathan Stubbs.

The 18-year-old made tennis fans happy by making it to the semifinals of the $15,000 Futures event in New Delhi last week, the only Indian to do so.

Bigger names like Sunil Kumar Sipaeya had fallen by the wayside. And Gunneswaran himself accounted for Ashutosh Singh in the opening round.

It was sweet revenge -- Singh had prevailed in the final of the DSCL National Tennis Championship last year. Giant-killing Gunneswaran had been the surprise finalist then but consoled himself with a title in the Under-18 event.

This time around, Gunneswaran overpowered Singh in three tight sets and went on to beat second seed Yuichi Sugita of Japan in the quarterfinal. He did come unstuck against Pakistan's Aqeel Khan in the semis but by then his performance had brought him in the limelight.

"The mental aspect is very important for me as I have enough standard to play at a much higher standard than my ranking suggests," Gunneswaran told the Indian Tennis Blog before flying back to Spain.

"But some things let me down like my tactical indiscipline and impatience."

They are flaws Gunneswaran is working on in his quest to crack the ATP Top 100, a goal he thinks he can achieve "within the next couple of years".

The 18-year-old is currently ranked 1303 on the ATP list but will move closer to the Top 1000 when the rankings are updated on Monday.

Gunneswaran has had an amazing run over the past two months - a Futures quarterfinal in Spain (after three qualifying round wins), a win at the Catalan Federation Men's Open (see pic and video) and the Futures semis in New Delhi.

Dreams of a hometown win at the Chennai Futures in early September were shattered with a straight-set opening round loss to second seed Alexey Kedryuk of Kazakhstan, but Gunneswaran was happy he gave it his best shot.

"It was only one break each set and I had chances to break too. Kedryuk is much more experienced than me and he showed that by winning the big points," he said.

"I was happy to bounce back from that and do well in Delhi."

Up next for Gunneswaran are three Spain Futures events in successive weeks, starting with the one in Barcelona on October 6.

VIDEO: Watch Gunneswaran in action

$15,000 INDIA F7 FUTURES, New Delhi
(September 8 - 14, 2008)

HARD COURT
Men's Singles Semifinal
Prajnesh Gunneswaran lost to (7)Aqeel Khan(PAK) 3-6,2-6
Quarterfinal
beat (2)Yuichi Sugita(JPN) 7-6(4),6-4
Round 2
beat (WC)Ronak Manuja 6-4,6-2
Round 1
beat (5)Ashutosh Singh 7-6(5),4-6,7-6(7)
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
With Somdev Devvarman (January 13, 2009 and October 4, 2007)

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