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Journalism of Courage
The sun, the grass and the great outdoors almost made the Indians famous at the RK Khanna Stadium here today. And the Swedes, having just about managed a 1-0 breather, are a short-head ahead in the second singles of their Davis Cup World Group play-off tie. Rohan Bopanna, in the bargain, was the find for India, awaiting more when play resumes after the day’s rain-break.
It was almost a good start for India. But Prakash Amritraj, while serving boomers, fails to retrieve, and runs short on steam. His first serve percentage was a decent 60 (against Jonas Bjorkman’s 59), but then that is Amritraj’s main piece of artillery on grass. Probably, the Indian is better suited for the slower clay after the way he had to stretch out to retrieve. The speed of grass often caught Amritraj unawares. Bjorkman — heat, humidity and unnatural bounce notwithstanding — was adjusting better.
There were some delectable net dribbles, but charging at the net is pass‚, it seems. Hard to believe there’s more to a net than a court demarcation. That was the sad outcome of decaying greens.
The 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 verdict for the Swede showed. Amritraj was broken in the seventh game of the first set and in the third game of the second before breaking back in game six. The Indian was broken again in the seventh. In the third set Amritraj was broken in the fifth game. One down in 125 minutes.
So much had been said about the selection, Bopanna almost didn’t make it. But then, if Thomas Johansson’s ranking was a problem, why should Bopanna care? He isn’t touring in paradise, like the Swede is. Thus the serves, hovering around 200kmph and zipping on grass, the agility, the frustration on Johansson’s face.
It was a funny bit of statistic: 16 aces for the Indian against Johansson’s nine. But 12 double faults for Bopanna, and three for Johansson. A zero sum game, almost, for the Indian greenhorn. Also, as far as Johansson goes, grass is for cows. He doesn’t like it. He stretches wrong, he times it all wrong, he can’t read a bounce-coefficient that changes by the minute.
Bopanna, in fact, broke the Swede in the sixth game of the first set. Johansson breaking back in the next. Bopanna is 6-7 (3-7) and 6-6 (0-5) down. The drizzle threw in some forced rest. Tomorrow India still await some gleam of a glory.
At least the doubles?
A pat from Mats
NEW DELHI: The two youngsters in the Indian Davis Cup team received accolades from the opposition camp. Talking to the mediapersons at the end of the first day’s play, visitors’ non-playing captain Mats Wilander said that both Prakash Amritraj and Rohan Bopanna showed good promise today and have it in them to make it big.
‘‘Bopanna showed good technique and his advantage is that he has a good serve. For a guy who is big he moves well on the court. If he works hard on his game he can break into the top 100 on the ATP circuit,” he said. Wilander felt that Prakash is better on hard courts and is a player who is “keen” to improve his game.
