The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Not must-win, Paes in just-win situation
THE DO-OR-DIE desperation to win is not on the menu on Saturday, but there will be no letting up given the assembled cast of characters. Leander Paes has shouldered the burden of these knackered Davis Cup weekends plenty of times in the course of a 27-yearlong career, so it must have been pleasant for him when Yuki Bhambri and Ramkumar Ramanathan stepped up to give India a 2-0 lead. A must-win doubles rubber—as has been the case a hundred times, or a record 43rd (of 56) to be precise for Paes - could be rejigged as a just-win one, given the clinical first day singles wins.
But putting those nimble feet up and settling into sedentary avocations is not Paes’s thing. Not yet. Not when he’s renewed his resolve, one more time, and turned up in Pune, looking leaner and fitter after an off-season of some pretty wacked, unconventional, fitness and conditioning work.
“I actually feel fit. Fitter than I used to in maybe the last 10 years. When I went into hospital after my illness I was 80 kilos, when I came out I was 128. Since then, I’ve been working and working myself to get back to under 80. This morning I weighed 80.2 kg for the first time since 2003. So that’s for the first time in 14 years,” Paes said, a day before the tie. “For me, those are my benchmarks.”
Clocking a point on the scoreboard in the middle-day doubles rubber against New Zealand might not exactly be the highest benchmark he set. But as things stand, Paes will take the court alongside the eager Vishnu Vardhan with New Zealand’s Michael Venus being the highest-ranked player on court at No 36. With Artem Sitak – a Russianborn New Zealander - combining with the former American collegiate Venus, New Zealand start the rubber as favourites, against the quickly patched up Indian combine, after Saketh Myneni went out injured.
Sitek is 5-1 in Davis Cup doubles and unbeaten in three years, and was part of the pairing that shocked the Indians the last time they met in Christchurch. However, a change in personnel (that was Bopanna and Myneni) means New Zealand might not go in as emboldened as they would have from familiarity – also given the 0-2 deficit from Day 1. That the change in personnel includes the wily fox Paes means rankings can go straight to the bin, though Sitek-venus are expected to come hard at the Indians.
Familiar foes
New Zealand captain Alistair Hunt knows Paes since their teen years when they played junior Slams together. There’s respect and wonder at how the 43-year-old Indian remains dangerously relevant even now. “He’s a huge Cup player for India. He’s passionate, competitive and tries to dominate and impose himself on court,” Hunt says, hoping his form players fetch him that one point which can keep them alive till Sunday.
All the shenanigans and the most recent ridiculous controversy over doubles selections – they do fetch up like ad pennies – has meant Paes can turn righteously stubborn again and push back all elements rushing him to an unsolicited farewell.
“Now I have nothing to prove – to them, to you, to any of these cats,” he says looking at the young flock. “I play because I love to play. I love to wear the blue, I love to play tennis, I love to wake up and go to practice and to be on court and that clean lifestyle. So I play because I can,” he says, before chuckling about how the Williams sisters and Nadal-federer tossed that monster ball called ‘age’ high up, and smashed it out of the park, out of real relevance at the year’s first Slam.
Still, New Zealand’s a good challenge for the man spoiling for a good scrap. Sitak digs the experience of being across the net from Paes, and shows no signs of awe towards the legend – though there’s loads of respect.
“I like how he goes into the match like a battle. I’m also like that,” says the 30-yearold who is ranked No.56 and is easily one of the better Davis Cup players from Asia/oceania currently after having beaten Korea, Taipei, China and India, staying unbeaten in three seasons.
The 29-year-old Venus, who lost his first five doubles ties and has mostly played on indoor courts in Cup matches, threw that nasty surprise at Indians in Christchurch when he beat Somdev Devvarman. Recently, he had a good outing against Feliciano Lopez and at present has a 3-5 Cup record.
But Venus is on the rise, with eight finals and five titles on the circuit in 2016.
“We’ve heard that they both play on the ad court side, so one of them will need to switch. Let’s see how it goes,” says India captain Anand Amritraj for whom this is definitely the final tie.
Paes chortles about going on till Tokyo – then wickedly waits for the reaction. On Saturday, he’ll chip and charge, and the old fox will wickedly await a response from the New Zealanders. With India 2-0 up and a record within reach, he might even consider having fun.