The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
A made for India final in Chennai
Men’s doubles summit clash will feature Bopanna-nedunchezhiyan versus Raja-sharan encounter
ROHAN BOPANNA had been in particularly good form. The serves were consistent - often over the 200 kmph mark - as were the ground strokes. At match point, he cracked a strong back-hand straight down court. His opponent Artem Sitak couldn’t control the volley, spraying it out wide, completing a comfortable 7-6, 6-4 win for Bopanna and local-lad Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan. It was a win that gave the Chennai Open its first ever all-indian doubles final.
A day earlier, Purav Raja and Divij Sharan had already ensured at least one Indian team will be in the final for the first time since 2011, since Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes lifted the trophy.
“To have two Indians (pairs) in the final, in India, nothing can get better. It’s a proud moment, and a win-win situation for Indian tennis,” Bopanna says.
Of the four players who will take to the SDAT Tennis Stadium’s centre court for the final on Sunday, Bopanna is the only one to have featured in the Chennai Open final before. Back in 2006, the 36-year-old lost in the final when he partnered Prakash Amritraj.
Since then, he’s forged a formidable doubles career, including a 2010 US Open finals finish and 14 ATP career titles. On the other hand, his partner only made it to the top 100 in doubles last year, and will be playing in his first ever ATP tour final.
While Bopanna competes at a higher level on tour, Nedunchezhiyan, Raja and Sharan have plied their trade among the Challengers and the occasional ATP events. “Purav has helped me a lot,” Nedunchezhiyan says. “Everything from scheduling tournaments to playing. It’s great to be playing a final at home, and against two of my best friends on tour,” he adds.
Bopanna and Nedunchezhiyan have teamed up just for this event. At the same time, Raja and Sharan have struck great chemistry to conquer four Challengers and the ATP 250 event in Mexico last year. “They will have a much better understanding. It’s always better when you play with someone for 25-30 weeks a year,” explains Bopanna.
Nedunchezhiyan meanwhile, is the last to have made the transformation from singles to doubles, and is still learning the nuances of the team game. “The most difficult part has been to find a constant partner. I’ve played with 21 different players last year.”
A counter-puncher at heart, he’s also polishing the art of approaching the net. In his partnership with Bopanna, he’s found a mentor of a high calibre. But from his opponents in Sunday’s final, he’s had support throughout his doubles career.
Agut to face Medvedev
Benoit Paire hit his racquet against the bench in frustration but it didn’t break. So he tossed it aside, sat down, took a sip of water and threw the uncapped bottle on court. The ball-boys scampered for towels to wipe the court. The Frenchman had just lost the first set of his Chennai Open semi-final against Spain’s Roberto Bautitsa Agut 3-6.
It was the eccentric Frenchman’s first true temperamental shift. On his day, Paire’s game is a delightful combination of strong serves and powerful ground strokes - the backhand being his forte. An innovator who likes to mix up his play - both in tempo and shot selection - his Achilles’ Heel being his inability to stay calm and composed when things don’t go his way.
On the night, he came up against an opponent who belongs to the other end of the spectrum. Bautista Agut is meticulously monotonous. A straight-faced Spaniard, his first serve is in the 180 kmph range, his ground strokes are always struck with a looping topspin. He even grunts in the same tone whether he’s playing a straight-forward shot or if he’s made to stretch and takes a while to get ready for the service returns. It takes robotic consistency, like Agut’s, to unsettle the mercurial Paire.
The frustration got to the 27-year-old Paire, who went down 0-4 in the second set - amidst tantrums and unforced errors. Still, the inherent skill shone through in bouts, and he recovered to 4-3. But the damage had already been done, and he lost the second set 3-6. “I just had to be calm and compact,” says the world number 14 after the win. It’s a similar strategy he used against a certain Novak Djokovic at the Shanghai Masters in October. The former world number - often praised for his mental stability - had a meltdown, smashing his racquet thrice and ripped off his shirt in frustration during the straightsets semifinal loss.
Compared to Djokovic, Paire was easy pickings.
The win for Agut takes him to his second Chennai Open final - he lost the 2013 edition title clash to Janko Tipsarevic. “I have more experience now,” says the second seed, who will play Daniil Medvedev in the final.
In the first semi-final, the Russian youngster saved a match point in the second set to overcome Israel’s Dudi Sela 4-6, 7-6, 6-2.