Opinion All the aces
A golden age for world tennis and the mainstreaming of tennis in India.
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In many ways,US Open 2010 will be remembered less for the quality of the tennis on display,and more for the compelling story lines,the have-nots and perhaps could/should-nots,the records broken and especially from an Indian context further ignited hope in the future of tennis.
One cannot overstate the achievements of the Rohan-Aisam duo,and this bodes extremely well for the future of tennis in India,politics,diplomacy,and other storylines aside. The two have taken their lumps over the years,while steadily rising through the ranks,starting with the ITF Futures,to the Challengers,growing as players and as a team. Rest assured: this team is for real,and the US Open finals run not a flash in the pan. Mens tennis in India today boasts two of the greatest doubles players in the history of the game,one of the most highly touted juniors globally in Yuki Bhambri,arguably the greatest college tennis player in the history of Americas collegiate championships in Somdev Devvarman,and now,the enticing prospect of an India-Pakistan combination with the skills,size and experience to dominate mens doubles for some time,if all goes according to plan. Incidentally,the top-ranked college player from Somdevs alma mater,the University of Virginia,is also an Indian,Sanam Singh.
Indian tennis will flourish and thrive as more Indians take heart from these results and accomplishments and take advantage of the opportunities that are likely to be made available now that tennis is once again a mainstream sport in this country.
Without a doubt,this is the golden era of mens tennis. We have been treated to a decade of glory,where two players with contrasting styles,personalities,surfaces,auras,leading arms,and above all,divergent in their career paths and polarising in their fan-base,have staked individual claims to one day being known as the greatest of all time. With his ninth Grand Slam title,and his maiden US Open,Nadal has now become the seventh man in the Open era to have won the career Grand Slam,joining the ranks of,among others,Roger Federer who,with 16 Grand Slam titles,is arguably the greatest mens tennis player of all time. Between them,Rafa and Roger have 25 Grand Slam titles; and yet one could argue that mens tennis in the last five years is the deepest and most competitive in recent memory. Del Potro,the defending champion who destroyed Nadal in the semifinals last year and who is clearly a match-up predicament for Rafa at the Open,was out with injuries,and Andy Murray,the pre-tournament favourite,went down in a typically frustrating loss to Wawrinka. The next couple of years will be intriguing,culminating in 2012 at the tennis purists dream: with the worlds greatest tennis players fighting for an Olympic gold at Wimbledons All-England Tennis Club.
The writer is a sports attorney
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