Rising through the ranks

While Prannoy knew he could make do with the states limited number of practice partners till the U-16 level,to achieve more he knew he had to go to the Gopichand Academy,which is when he met Praneeth. Even when being compared to Praneeth,Pranoy is realistic. While Praneeth thrives around delicate flourishes and a huge range of strokes,Pranoy’s game is built around stamina and brute power,entering long rallies to tire out opponents. “My game is not so nice to watch,because I am not as naturally talented as Praneeth,so I must play to my strengths. “

B Sai Praneeth

Has been one of the most consistent players on the junior circuit. He won the U-13,the U-16 and then held the junior U-19 title for two years in a row. He also reached the semi-finals of the Junior World Championships in Mexico. The performances were enough for national coach Pullela Gopichand to tip him as one of the most promising talents in India. With a win at the Senior Nationals against 2008 National Champion,Arvind Bhat,he has also proved he is capable of mixing it up with the best. Lightly built,he compensates for his frame with speed and a naturally stylish technique. “When people look at me,they always think I am very frail. They are not entirely wrong. My strength is in my speed,I try to avoid playing long rallies. Instead I make them do all the running around.”

While 2010 was a good year for him,it was also Praneeth’s last year as a junior and he knows there are areas he has to improve on if he wants to advance to the senior level. “I am working very hard on my fitness and stamina. I know I will never be as strong as other players,but it is one area that I know I can improve on.”

Praneeth trains at the Gopichand Academy in Gachibowli,Andhra Pradesh,and with HS Prannoy also in the same camp,the two train a lot together and have also competed against each other a lot.

“Initially he used to win against me a lot,but recently,I have been winning most of my matches against him,most recently in the junior nationals semi-finals. He knows my style of play and I know his. So our matches tend to be very close. We almost always end up playing three games,” he says.

PC Thulasi

A slight unassuming 19-year old from Kerala,PC Thulasi first came into the lime light a little over two years back after winning the doubles gold medal along with Sikki Reddy at the Junior Commonwealth Games in 2008. The next year she reached the finals of the senior Nationals,while in 2010 she made it to the quarters. Her performance seemed to be stagnating somewhat,with early exits at the Junior World Championships and then at the Asian Juniors,but then in October,she decided to become a resident camper at the Gopichand Academy,where she had been attending camps on-and-off.

“Playing back in Kerala was no longer an option,although I wanted to stay close to home. I felt that at the academy,I am getting regular practice and it shows,”she explains

Then in December came the result she had been waiting for — transforming the potential she had displayed earlier to finally have something to show for it. After entering the tournament as an unseeded player,Thulasi won the TATA open in Mumbai,beating ,India No.2 Sayali Gokhale in the semi-finals and then the World No 42,Fransiska Ratnasari of Indonesia in straight sets.