Chetan targets return to form

Near-misses are on Chetan Anands mind as he strolls the aisles of the CCI courts on the eve of the Tata Open All India ranking tournament. The last time he played in the city,he had lost 21-19 in the third game to Lee Chong Wei at a satellite tournament. The last time Anand gave rankings a serious glance was when he was at No 12,though his forgettable showing at the three Far East tournaments means hell need a gusty second wind to shrug off his present No 14 plateau. It was a case of near-misses again during the recent tournaments at Singapore,Indonesia and Malaysia when he was unable to finish matches at crucial stages.

His first domestic tournament in almost a year might just be the tonic the doctor ordered to regain his confidence as Indias No 1 player. I took a break and trained two weeks prior to the event but I couldnt give it my 100 per cent. Also despite my fitness levels being all right,I was unable to finish matches at crucial stages. And thats something I need to work hard on, he says.

The Tata Open sees a strong draw in the mens singles with Anup Sridhar the sole top-rung withdrawal but there is no dearth of youngsters aiming to be the upstarts. Local lads Anand Pawar and Ajay Jayram,the gritty P Kashyap and the indefatigable Guru Sai Dutt are a worthy second-rungs to defending champion Aravind Bhat and Anand in a draw-list comparable to a senior nationals tournament.

Not easy

Anands top-seed debut in Mumbai wont be a cakewalk. Ive been training and am looking forward to it, says the 29-year-old,though he admits hes not in top shape after the Asian tour,but will work over the coming month.

For Bhat the reigning champion though currently struggling with form after the Asian tour,Mumbai could bring back some luck and pluck. Im aiming for the title but the draw gets tough right from the second round and a quarter-final match with Guru Sai Dutt will be interesting. A win will be important for confidence, Bhat says.