Game, Set, Match Somdev!

chillibreeze writer — Niharika

For those who were privileged enough to watch the historic final last Sunday, I have nothing to say. For those of you who were glued to your television screens, well you saw it and for the rest- WAKE UP!

By now Somdev Devvarman has become a household name in Chennai, and thanks to Chennai, the rest of India has made note of this young talent. Hailed as the next best thing for Indian tennis (a certain Ms Sania Mirza seems to have left a void) there is, quite surprisingly, nothing extraordinary about the lad. He seems the competitive under player with graceful agility and subtle defenses. The tamed opponents would perhaps agree best with that notion, after they were left perplexed and stunned with his deceptive passing shots combined with hoodwinking ground strokes.

Early Days

Originally from the state of Assam, Somdev’s tryst with tennis began here in Chennai. A few years later, he shifted to the US, understandably, for better training and coaching facilities. A two time champion of the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), one of his most memorable wins then came against the number one seed, John Isner, in the finals. His other dramatic wins came against much higher ranked players like Robert Kendrick and Justin Gimelstob. In fact, not many know that NCAA has been the stepping stone for legends like John McEnroe and Arthur Ashe.

Of course, these wins have taken a backseat now, as his thumping victories against former world number one, Carlos Moya, and Ivo Karlovic came into the limelight. They have shown his remarkable talent and a maturity that affirms promise for the future. This achievement will inspire all sports lovers in the country and typically raise the aspirations of millions of Indians for the coveted Grand Slam trophy.

Indian Tennis

The legacy of Indian tennis has been through a bumpy road, with unexpected twists and surprising turn of events. A lot of players in the past have shown hope but none have been able to convert that optimism into the much needed consistency. We have rested for too long on the laurels of Leander Paes, which by world standards are quite modest. India has sadly been unable to produce a worthy heir to the prominence of Ramanathan Krishnan, Ramesh Krishnan or Vijay Amritraj.

Looking at performances in the singles professional ATP tours, the standard has declined from one generation to the other. In the midst of such a bleak situation, Somdev appears to be the knight in shining armor. He shows the hope of ushering in a new era of Indian tennis that is different and refreshing from the past. If, within a year of turning pro, his antics can make a whole nation stand up and applaud him, then it should be pretty exciting to see where this sensation goes from here. It would be ideal to end at this point, but looking at India’s pessimistic history, let’s hope that the inescapable media hype, endorsements bandwagon and melodramatic phrases have little impact on the next pin-up boy of Indian tennis.

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Niharika says, "Coming from a family that has been liberal for its generation my thoughts have often been considered “abnormal” for my age. But that is the very fact I take pride in. It is important to take encouragement from any kind of criticism and that’s how I look at life. I love contemporary literature, especially Indian writing. Apart from that food, traveling and music have been my greatest interests and also in a way- necessities. It is from these that you gather the best thoughts and experiences…."

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