An exciting period for Indian tennis: Krishnan

Chennai: India`s qualification to the Davis Cup World Group after 11 years shows that tennis is going through an exciting phase and there is more to follow, says former Davis Cup captain Ramesh Krishnan.After India`s sensational 4-1 win against South Africa in Johannesburg over the weekend, Krishnan tipped Somdev Devvarman for greater things. "It is very exciting to be back in the World Group. Somdev Devvarman has shown excellent temperament for Davis Cup by winning two crucial singles matches and he is definitely a big prospect for the future," Krishnan told Monday. Krishnan also heaped praise on Rohan Bopanna who won the crucial singles match on the first day and 17-year old World No.1 junior Yuki Bhambri, who made a successful Davis Cup debut by clinching the second reverse singles. "I wouldn`t like to jump the gun, but we need to appreciate the performances of even Mahesh Bhupathi in the doubles. Overall, a fantastic performance," said Krishnan. Further, he hoped that Somdev would gain another "40-50 slots" so that he can get direct entries rather than having to go through the qualifying process for top tournaments. "Somdev definitely has the potential and the fitness level and is mentally very strong. He needs to get himself another 40-50 positions in the rankings, so that he can get direct entries into the main draw of the big tournaments," he said. On Bhambri, Krishnan was understandably cautious. "Yes, he is just 17 and has the potential, but we need to wait and see how he develops from here on," he opined. Bangalore-based CGK Bhupathi, father of Mahesh, was equally ecstatic over the victory. "The most significant point is that India made it to the World Group without contribution from Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. I believe that the future looks very exciting for Indian tennis," he said. Bhupathi pointed out that in the past, Mahesh and Leander were the key components in the Davis Cup team, but the victory against South Africa showed that the next generation of players is fast surfacing and Indian tennis has a lot to look forward to. "Of course, we still need the doubles point, but we can always count on Somdev. Rohan (Bopanna) too has played some wonderful matches in Davis Cup. He has beaten Japan No.1 and now, the top ranked South African player. As regards Yuki, I hope that he can convert his potential into big results as he progresses to the senior ranks," he said. Bhupathi, who runs a tennis academy in Bangalore, however felt that the achievements of Indian tennis players this year was still to be highlighted. "This year, we have won three Grand Slam doubles titles, two Indians were in the US Open doubles finals, one Indian won the Australian Open junior title (Bhambri) and now we have qualified for the World Group after over a decade. We have to highlight these achievements so that it would inspire more youngsters," Bhupathi asserted. "The point is that in India, it is the individual who makes the sport rather than the other way around. Hopefully, now that we have achieved quite a bit in tennis, things will improve," he said Bureau Report