The Singles Man

It was a choice between choosing a full time career in acting or playing tennis, but Prakash Amritraj chose the latter as his heart led him ...

It was a choice between choosing a full time career in acting or playing tennis, but Prakash Amritraj chose the latter as his heart led him to it.

8216;8216;Yes, it was a difficult choice initially but it was made easy because my dad was very supportive and left the final decision on me8230;There was no pressure whatsoever8217;8217;, Prakash told The Sunday Express.

Over the past couple of days, Prakash 22 has had the honour of leading the Indian Davis Cup team out against Sweden in the World Group playoff tie.

8216;8216;I really didn8217;t expect this. It was known that I would playing in the singles but then playing the first tie is an honour.8217;8217;

And this is one of his favourite venues. 8216;8216;It8217;s always lovely to play at the All India Tennis Association lawns, with the crowd getting behind you. It8217;s something else 8212; and the conditions here favour us more,8221; he says with a smile.

Prakash carries a famous name on the tennis circuit and it is a burden he shoulders willingly. His father, Vijay, won 16 singles and 13 doubles titles.

Vijay was also instrumental in helping India reach two Davis Cup finals. Prakash8217;s uncle Anand, who currently lives in US and has his own business, was a good doubles player, winning 12 tournaments and playing alongside Vijay, in many Davis Cup matches. Like Vijay, Anand still plays a lot of senior tournaments. His other uncle, Ashok, also played tennis but later went into film productions.

Acting 8212; though of a different sort 8212; almost claimed Prakash too. 8216;8216;In school and college I used to act a lot in various plays but I decided to stick to tennis. Though I don8217;t remember the names of the plays they were of all kinds, from fairy tales to romantic ones8217;8217;, he recalls.

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THE SON ON THE FATHER

It8217;s lovely to have dad travelling with me. He is my source of energy and I really regard everything he says as the Gospel truth. He has never really led me astray and I truly believe he never really will. I consider him my best friend off the court.
He8217;s been harsh sometimes but because our relationship is so close, I feel maybe there8217;s something which I did and probably deserve it. Or when he is rewarding, I feel I deserve that too. He keeps it real with me, come good or bad.

Music is another passion for Amritraj Jr. 8216;8216;Basically a lot of rap and hip-hop music. Even before matches to let my adrenaline pump and to relax my self I listen to music,8221; he said.

This passion was on display on Friday when, just before taking to court to face Jonas Bjorkman, he was warming up with his headphones on. 8216;8216;I was listening to Topaz by The Rippingtons which is my favourite album8230;whenever I want energise myself I listen to it.8217;8217;

And when it8217;s not tennis Prakash likes to take time out to watch movies. 8216;8216;I like fast-paced Hollywood action movies. Apart from this I also like watching Bollywood films. I think their heroines are prettier than those in Hollywood8217;8217;. His current flame? Priyanka Chopra.

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Family looms large in the Amritraj legend. 8216;8216;We are a closely knit family. Whenever all the cousins are in LA we have a great time, it8217;s a huge party.8217;8217;

And no Amritraj get-together is complete without the T-word. 8216;8216;Yes, we take time out to play tennis. It8217;s fun to play along with my dad, uncles and my cousin Stephen, who is also a tennis player8217;8217;, he adds.

Finally, you put the M word to him. He8217;s a Very Eligible Bachelor, so how8217;s the doubles game going? 8216;8216;Not yet. But let8217;s see what happens may be I might find a lovely Indian beauty8230;I might even have one more ace up my sleeve.8217;8217;