Rice 038; lentils but no easy meat News Archive News

You know foreign players are in town when the tournament menu card at the MSLTA Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association explains idli-sa...

Written by Shivani Naik

Mumbai | October 27, 2005 12:00 AM IST

3 min read

You know foreign players are in town when the tournament menu card at the MSLTA Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association explains idli-sambar as rice cake and lentil soup, and aloo parathas as potato pancakes. And when the dishes are devoid of all spices.

While the chefs do their bit for the foreign palate, Indian players at the ongoing 10,000 ITF tennis tournament are offering scant consideration for these visiting opponents, peppering their games with uncharacteristic flat, hard serves which are surprising the guests.

Indian hospitality, it seems, stops at the kitchen.

Natasha Khan, a 21-year-old British national with Pakistani parentage, went down to Mumbai girl Sagarika Phadke earlier on Tuesday and couldn8217;t stop shaking her head. 8216;8216;These young Indians hit the ball really well,8217;8217; she admitted.

Khan is part of a four-member strong British challenge comprising youngsters just out of school, and finding their feet on the professional circuit. While Khan realised that India wasn8217;t the smoothest of tracks to hit the ground running, her travelling coach John Hicks, a veteran at Queens Club, had set out on his maiden Indian journey believing it was an ideal initiation for girls debuting on the tennis-tour. 8216;8216;The standard is just right for players coming in,8217;8217; he maintained.

From being a convenient stopover on way to tournaments in Indonesia and Philippines, women8217;s ITFs in India are gaining new respect as competitive draws where it is difficult to subdue the emerging crop of flat-hitting Indians. Pocketing easy points and steamrolling rivals just got difficult in India, and we are yet to mention the S-word.

Naomi Cavaday, who did manage an easy outing, was guarded in her analysis of the competition. 8216;8216;The standards are much higher than I expected,8217;8217; she said. In tennis terms, Great Britain has struggled in the women8217;s event, with their highest ranked player Elena Batacha pegged at 122, and Cavaday conceded that talent hasn8217;t exactly come through, though youngsters are travelling to remote places picking points.

In India, they are easily identified due to their slit skirts and strappy tops.

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A little less boisterous than the British bunch is Ksenia Palkina of Kyrgyzstan, who is in Mumbai with mother-cum-coach Marina. Speaking slow, precise English, the 15-year-old admitted that Indian standards were a revelation. 8216;8216;I might move to Russia if my country where she is the top player does not help me while I climb the ranking ladder,8217;8217; she said.

Wondering aloud about the spectacle of men and cars moving together on Mumbai8217;s streets, Palkina added that her taxi driver had been especially friendly, helping them find fruits when she told him of her Russian-connection.

The shock of the perennial heat, hotter food and bumper-to-bumper taxis negotiated, now there are the gutsy Indian players to tackle.

Early-round exits mean hunting for Pashminas and Kolhapuris, convenient buys ahead of Christmas: those things never change.

Shivani Naik

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More

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