Rohan Bopanna, at 34, is the most experienced member of the Indian Davis Cup team. He’s also back on the pro circuit with his most successful doubles partner Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi. Off the court, his marriage to Supriya Annaiah is just over a year old.

He chats with Shamya Dasgupta about the calm after a stormy few years for the tennis player.

You’ve had 11 years in the pro circuit now. Do you think you have achieved what you set out to do?

Looking back, if someone told me that I would one day be the most senior representative on the Indian Davis Cup team and reach a career high of World No 3 (in men’s doubles), I would have found it hard to believe. It has been a journey of sacrifices and determination, which have, fortunately, paid off. I would say I have achieved most of what I set out to when I decided to take up the game, though I would still like to lead India to laurels on the global stage (in the Davis Cup) and also win a Grand Slam title, or many.

A question you would have fielded before—why do Indians make better players in the doubles game as compared with the singles game?

I don’t think there’s a tennis player in the world, who when he picks up the racquet for the first time and decides to be a professional, wants to be a doubles specialist. It is only later on in your career that you decide, based on your skills and your game, and choose to be a doubles specialist. I guess, in India, it is also due to the lack of sponsors that you choose the doubles route, an option that is financially viable.

You’re back with Aisam—what makes the two of you such a strong doubles team? Indeed, what makes any two individuals play well together?

There are a lot of factors that account for a great doubles pairing. Most important, I believe, is great chemistry on and off the court. Aisam and I have been close friends, having spent so many years on the circuit in proximity. I think that is a significant contribution to our success, apart from our understanding of each other’s game and each other’s strengths and weaknesses, again on court and off court. Drawing parallels to a marriage, which is my other significant partnership these days, I would say that all partnerships need work, effort and commitment.

Do you think you, and Aisam of course, became sacrificial lambs, so to say, in the 2011-12 period because of ‘issues’ between other people (Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi)?

I can only speak for myself here and not for Aisam—well, it was I who decided to play with Mahesh and not Aisam in 2012 keeping the focus on representing the country and the London Olympics. And looking back at the on-court success, 2012 was definitely one of the best so far in my career. Off-court controversies are in the in the past and as players, you live, learn and move on as mature individuals. My focus is now on the year ahead and I am looking forward to it.

Would you say, because of the way things panned out, no one really benefited in that period, not Leander or Mahesh, nor you or Aisam, or even Sania Mirza?

I do not think anyone who genuinely cared about the sport benefited from the issues at that point of time. But, we have moved on. But, there’s a chance a similar issue might crop up before the 2016 Olympics. I am focused on the current year and not looking that far ahead.

Moving on, the International Tennis Premier League is also around the corner. What do you think the ITPL will do for you, and for tennis as a whole?

I’m really looking forward to being part of the ITPL. It will be a great opportunity to play along with and against some of the biggest names in the sport. I hope that it propels the interest for the game and boosts the viewership across Asia.

You are the most experienced player in the Indian Davis Cup team at the moment. What does that mean to you?

It is a fairly young team that we have currently representing the country at the Davis Cup. All of the guys are enthusiastic about making the country proud and, for me, it is a great opportunity to try and help them and pass on what my experiences in the game have taught me.

The reunion with Aisam has already brought you a title in Dubai. You and Aisam are the same age, so how far do you think the two of you can go?

The win in Dubai was gratifying and we hope to continue with the success from that win. We would like to play together for a couple of years at the very least, with a Grand Slam victory a priority.

(The author is Senior Editor at Wisden India)

source: http://www.articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com / The Economic Times / Home> News> Sports / ET Bureau / by Shyama Dasgupta / April 05th, 2014

New Delhi :

Leading Indian doubles badminton player Ashwini Ponnappa said on Sunday that she is happy to see more and more people take up the sport.

“I am happy to see more and more people take up badminton. It is great to see that many people are getting interested in the sport and are following India’s progress at the world stage,” the 2010 Commonwealth Games women’s doubles gold medallist said after giving away PNB MetLife RWA Badminton Championship prizes at the Thyagaraj Stadium here.

“I hope to see more support for badminton in the future as this will spread the popularity of the sport in India.”

The 2011 World Championship bronze medallist starts her campaign at the $250,000 India Open Super Series at the Siri Fort Sports Complex Wednesday.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports> Badminton / IANS / March 30th, 2014

The metamorphosis of Robin Uthappa has perhaps been the most riveting tale in Karnataka cricket in the recent past. Just like the many languages he speaks, Uthappa the cricketer has embraced multiple roles over the last decade and aptly his whatsapp status is: “I’m different, get over it.”

Uthappa has donned many avatars in his evolution as an aggressive opener: a slightly over-weight kid who donned the wicket-keeping gloves and biffed with his bat; a brash teenager who smote the ball hard and drew the appreciation of former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar; the youngster who turned out for India, sparkled briefly and then was resigned to be on the sidelines; the man who asked for the Karnataka captaincy because he believed he could deliver; and now an elder statesman though he is just 28, scoring runs by the ton, lending whole-hearted support to captain Vinay Kumar and also dreaming about wresting back the India cap.

It is an exhaustive list but the varied experiences have shaped Uthappa well. There is a sense of calm and a whole lot of perspective in the way he approaches the game and his life and all that has helped him individually besides lending stability to Karnataka’s batting. It is a point that has caught his State coach J. Arunkumar’s eye. “Robin is very composed now. Even when he talks, he thinks a lot before he says anything. Earlier, he wasn’t like that, he could snap. Now he is in a good space personally and that shows in his batting. To be honest, he is batting the best in the State and he is ready to play for India again, especially in the shorter formats,” Arunkumar says. During Karnataka’s recent Vijay Hazare Trophy triumph, Uthappa’s tons (133 vs Jharkhand and 132 n.o., vs Gujarat) helped Vinay Kumar’s men to extend their good form that has already yielded the Ranji Trophy and the Irani Cup. Uthappa’s merger of aggression with remarkable consistency, has been a work in progress.

Last season, he roped in former India batsman Pravin Amre as his personal coach. And in a lovely tandem that tided past egos and focussed on the larger goal of good cricket, Amre and Arunkumar, worked out an easy understanding between themselves which helped the player improve rapidly. “Pravin has led me when I played for India ‘A’ and I have a lot of respect for him. There are no egos here and it is all about helping a player become better as well as help his team,” Arunkumar says.

To Uthappa’s credit, he found a mid-point between his innate aggression, while also adapting to Amre’s Bombay school of batsmanship that paid its traditional respects to defensive batting. Arunkumar, who was an aggressive opener in his heydays, says: “I believe that if a ball is short and wide, you should cut it, no point in leaving it. I tell that to Robin and the others, the situation might be 30 for three but you should be alert to scoring runs. Yes, he did get a bit too defensive when the last season began and then I had a chat with both Robin and Pravin. Now the good thing is that he is neither too aggressive nor too defensive. He has found his balance.”

Many years ago, when asked about the defining influences in his life, Uthappa spoke about Him. The Him was none other than Jesus Christ and Uthappa’s spiritual leanings, which continues to this day, his strong sense of self-esteem that has not lapsed into arrogance.

The easy camaraderie he shares with his team-mates and his constant instrospection about his game, have helped him find his feet. Having played for India in the past, Uthappa has reiterated his credentials again. May be it is a matter of time before he joins the ‘Men in Blue.’

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by K.C. Vijaya Kumari / Bangalore – March 23rd, 2014