Chennai: The story of the week was India's new hope in tennis Somdev Devvarman. He may have faltered in the finals but has cracked into the top 200 in the world. And peers and some former greats believe that this young lad could be what Indian tennis needs.
Chess player Vishwanathan Anand praised Somdev, "He's quite the revelation of the event."
Words of a world number one can't be taken too lightly. Vishwanathan Anand watched Somdev Devvarman from the sidelines. And even though he ended up on the losing side. This 23-year-old has captured everyone's imagination.
"He reminds me of junior Michael Chang," said former tennis player Vijay Amritraj.
Somdev has indeed planted hopes of a bright tennis future in India. This, at a time when the country is desperate for a potent singles player to take things forward. Some believe, that this witty, floppy-haired, fighter seems to fit the bill.
"He is the flagbearer of India," said Amritraj.
However, it's not just his predecessors and compatriots who are quite impressed. Former world number one Carlos Moya made some observations after his second round loss to Somdev at the Chennai Open.
Be it his natural tendencies to stick at the baseline. Or those rare tips from tennis greats like Andy Roddick. Or just that cool and firm head on his shoulders. Somdev will need all of this and more as he heads to Melbourne for the Australian Open qualifiers.
Comments
0 comment