Grooming GenNext

It8217;s not just Leander8217;s being around with the towels and sports drink during the breaks. During Prakash Amritraj8217;s match on Friday, Bhupathi sat on the chair next to the player. Despite their differences, the veteran duo are obviously united when it comes to nurturing talent.

Paes says he likes to keep youngsters around the team during practice and tournaments. 8216;8216;Most people don8217;t like increasing the number of persons associated with the team but I like to have youngsters. They are energetic, willing to learn, and a lot of help too. Their presence helps the team as much as it helps them8217;8217;, he says.

It shows. Sanam, with his mental strength, and Vivek with his physique are already among the top players in Indian junior tennis.

Obviously the youngsters are delighted. 8216;8216;It8217;s great being around with Leander and Mahesh8217;8217;, said Sanam. 8216;8216;You learn so much from them, just watching them play.8217;8217;

Is Leander a hero? 8216;8216;Of course. We grew up watching him, so it feels awesome when you are on the court with him, hitting balls and warming up,8217;8217; says Sanam, who recently won the Asian junior championship in Seoul.

The two attend team meetings, though they don8217;t provide any input to the sessions and discussions. So is this a preparatory course? 8216;8216;Not preparation8217;8217;, says Paes. 8216;8216;But it is kind of a build-up to how to handle things on the big stage.8217;8217;

Indeed, for Leander it8217;s simply a case of giving back what he received during his junior days. First the Amritrajs, then Ramesh Krishnan and coach Naresh Kumar ensured that perky Paes became Paes the Phenomenon.

The scenes at Jaipur 8212; and, indeed, in Delhi for the China match last month 8212; recalled memories of Sweden circa 1980s. Mats Wilander played the elder brother to the likes of Stefan Edberg, Joakim Nystrom and Anders Jarryd 8212; and he in turn was following the template set by Bjorn Borg.

Under Wilander the Swedes formed a formidable Davis Cup unit, winning the title six times, in 11 finals, in that period. Wilander and Edberg were both world No 1s, but that was always secondary to the team ethic.

It8217;s the same ethic that has always driven Leander to give his best in the Davis Cup.

8216;8216;The Davis Cup is a team event. I may be the captain but the decision is collective. People may say Harsh is a complex person but I can talk to him about strategies that are the level of the world8217;s top players. So, everyone in this team has a role and a responsibility.8217;8217;