In individual sport, the usual way to embrace fame is to start early, make waves and build from there. When Boris Becker won Wimbledon at 17, the world took note and he was etched in the memory of every tennis lover. While the up and coming players of this age haven’t been able to emulate that feat of Becker’s, the likes of Borna Coric, Elias Ymer and Nick Kyrgios have showed signs of realising their potential.
However in Indian tennis, the situation is a little alarming. While Yuki Bhambri and Somdev Devvarman made waves as youngsters, they faded into oblivion soon after in the world tour circuit but remained India’s top players. A spot in the top 100 in the world comes with a price and more often than not the Indians have been found wanting in this regard.
While Somdev slipped from the 90s to the 170s, Yuki has been a little consistent and breached the 100-mark. A gusto performance from Yuki is the need of the hour to keep him in the top 100 in 2016.
Renowned analyst Vijay Amritraj said it is in the genes of Indians to mature late. “We must not forget that Indians mature mentally fast but physically late. When Becker was able to win Wimbledon at 17, he had the physical acumen to do it which we Indians get in the mid 20s,” he said.
Vijay feels that Indians are not losing much by reaching their peak late. “We should compare Indians who are 25-26 to western players who are 18-19. That is the norm. However, we are not losing on precious space in the ranking as we can carry on till our mid-30s while the players in the west burn out in their late 20s and early 30s. There are no second thoughts that we should be physically stronger but we are not in a bad shape either,” he added.
The former Wimbledon semi-finalist said it is about time Yuki looks at the Tour instead of the Challengers. “Yuki should realise that he belongs to the Tour. He would be richer with experience if he stays on the Tour and it would be easier for him to sustain with experience,” the 62-year-old said.
Amritraj lauded Somdev for his excellent work ethic. “He works hard on his fitness and compensates for his lack of height. Saketh Myneni has the mettle to perform but we need to get stronger. Somdev is a livewire on the court and makes his opponent play open tennis, which is good. His good game sense will take him places,” Vijay said.
