Rohan Bopanna, who recently reached his career-best doubles ranking, attributed his success to an improved ability to close out points at the net.

“I’ve worked hard on my volleying skills, which has been a key factor to my progress. People say that I have a big serve, but at the end of the day, you need to volley well and finish points,” said Bopanna, who is the world no. 5, here on Thursday.

Bopanna partnered Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin to reach the semifinals at Wimbledon recently. Roger-Vasselin is the 33-year-old Indian’s seventh partner this year, and Bopanna said that the frequent shuffling was unavoidable.

“I would like to settle with one partner, but it’s not easy. For example, singles is the number one priority for Roger-Vasselin. “Even if we do well, I cannot force him to play around my schedule. I would definitely like to stick with one partner; I do not enjoy changing partners week in and week out,” he said.

Bopanna said that he would retain his current partner till the end of the season. They communicated well on court, he added.

Asked if his vast experience on the Tour has made him a smarter player, he said: “Absolutely. After playing on the Tour for 10 years, you are bound to become mature.

“You are not a first-timer any longer; the goal is not to just enjoy the moment.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sports> Tennis / by Sports Reporter / Bangalore – July 18th, 2013