The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Single-minded resolve
Yuki and Ramkumar notch up facile wins to give India a 2-0 lead against New Zealand on Day One
Asramkumarramanathan’sgruntinggrew louder, his shots got stronger. It was deuce at 3-3inthesecondset,josestathamserving.the Kiwi had an answer to each groundstroke Ramkumar hit across the net in that rally. But Ramkumar was returning with more power, and wearing out his opponent – particularly through his forehand – as the point went on. It was the longest rally of the match that ended with Statham hitting into the net. Break point, Ramkumar.
Seemingly drained after the rally, and the scoreboardpressurepilingup,stathamserved adoublefaultnext.therewasanunsaidworry in the Indian camp ahead of the first round Asia/oceania Davis Cup tie against New Zealand. It grew more intense when Saketh Myneni fell prey to a foot injury that ruled him out.foraplayerofthecalibreofyukibhambri, it was almost a given that he would win his two singles rubbers against the visitors at the Balewadi Stadium in Pune. The concern was about the other two singles matches.
The Chennai lad is India’s second bestranked player - slotted at 276 in the world. But the 22-year-old is temperamental. With Myneni out, Ramkumar would need to play two matches and the worry was which version of him would turn up on Friday.
He put his best foot forward, winning the match 6-3, 6-4, 6-3. “I thought the second match was going to be a lot closer,” said India’s non-playing captain Anand Amritraj who labelled the team’s opening day as a “dream start.”
As expected, Bhambri began proceedings for India with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 win over World No. 414 Finn Tearney. It was a match that had always been pipped to be in favour of the Indian, who was once part of the top-100 club. Yet by no means was this a flawless effort by the 24-year-old.
Bhambri spent most of last year – from March to September – away from the game as he nursed a tennis elbow. His first ATP level tournament came last month at the Chennai Open, and he even managed to reach the third round of qualifiers at the Australian Open. Still, the Delhi lad is short on match sharpness. “There were a few moments when I lost my focus,anditwasabitdifficultreadingthecourt because of the bounce. But I didn’t let the lead slip and I started to adjust as the match went on,” he says.
Initially, Bhambri could not control his shots, mistiming his strokes to hit the ball long on crucial points. But once he adjusted to the highbounceandpaceofthecourt,heflattened the ball better and added more power to his groundstrokes.therewasalsoadelightfulforehand drop shot slice in the third set. It helped set up a break point in the third set.
“It is not easy to win in straight sets in fiveset matches. Even a little lapse and you find yourself in the fourth set,” mentions Amritraj.
No signs of rust
That would have been the tough test, especially for Ramkumar, who had played just one match coming into this Davis Cup tie. The last time the mercurial youngster played a competitive match, he left dejected. He was humbled 6-1, 6-1 by Bhambri at the Chennai Open – his home tournament – in the first round. He travelled to the Australian Open, hoping to make it to the qualifiers but missed the cut narrowly.
With no tournaments available to play, he embarked on a two-week fitness camp in Florida under the tutelage of Emilio Sanchez, a multiple Grand Slam doubles champion and brotherofformerwomen’sworldnumberone Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.
"That was the one thing he could have done. The only thing he was in control of coming into this tie,” says Zeeshan Ali, coach of the Davis Cup team. While his temperament has often come under the scanner, Ramkumar’s fitness has been unquestionable. He is considered the fittest player on the team. Yet, the extra sessions of strenuous workouts and drills boosted his confidence on court, empowering him with a bit more oomph in his shots.
“They kept pushing me harder. The training was more about movement. We played three hours, and then once I’m tired, I played a set. You struggle on those days, but when you finally play a match you feel a lot better. And right now I’m physically feeling a lot better,” he asserts. Standing at six-foot-two, Ramkumar’s game is driven by a strong forehand and an even bigger serve. It all came together against Statham. The serves were crossing the 200 kmph mark ever so often. His confidence in his fitness also came to the fore when he had to employ a defensive game. He had the strength in his legs to carry him across the court to return shots from the acute angles Statham was placing the ball in.
“Hedidmorerunningthanyouwouldhave seen in a five-setter,” said Amritraj. “He was definitelychasingdownmoreballsthanihave seen him do. I was very impressed by his court coverage.”
The tenacity in returning shots pushed Statham – who is New Zealand’s secondhighest ranked player at 417 – to the brink. The Kiwi, who gave early impressions of relying on consistent play rather than a full-on attacking approach, was drawn into making unforced errors.
Onhisownserve,ramkumarwasonsong, notching 15 aces. He sealed the first set with a serve clocked at 200 kmph. He won set point inthesecondwithonethatcameto207kmph.
For long, Ramkumar has been considered the future for Indian tennis. Yet painfully, his inconsistency has held him back. The defeat at the Chennai Open earlier this year, in the very stadium where he announced himself by beating Somdev Devvarman three years ago, may have been an eye-opener for him.
His game against Statham was strong and solid. It was the kind of performance that demonstrated his potential.