To give Navdeep his due, he had a great run, coming through three rounds of qualifying and deserved his place in the main draw.
MUMBAI: The first occasion is always special. Navdeep Singh’s case is no different. His opening round encounter with Japan’s Toshihide Matsui at the Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open went 6-4 7-6 in favour of the latter, but the match itself was a memorable experience for the 21-year-old, simply because it was his first ever main draw match on the ATP Tour.
“I won my first five ATP points, won three matches to get it to the main draw and I am proud. It was a great learning experience and everything was a gain here,” said Navdeep. There was certainly a tinge of regret about the defeat but if there was a reason for it - He had a stomach upset and was under medication - it was quickly followed by appreciation for his opponent — “he was too good for me today and played the big points well.”
To give Navdeep his due, he had a great run, coming through three rounds of qualifying and deserved his place in the main draw. His three wins in the qualifying included a straight-set second round verdict over the second seed in the qualifying and former German regular on the Tour Lars Burgsmuller and a nail-biting final round win over compatriot Yuki Bhambri. No doubt the youngster brimmed with confidence in the aftermath of the effort.
“In the next two-three years, I hope to play in the main draw in ATP events on a regular basis and am also aiming to play in the Davis Cup,” said Navdeep. Perhaps the right kind of aspiration for a player, who achieved a lot as junior — a top-50 world ranking, junior national title, even a win on the satellite circuit, many doubles crowns and participation in boy’s section of all the four majors amongst others.
A problem with almost all the juniors in the country, making a transition to the next level, is sponsorship or the lack of it. Does Navdeep suffer from a similar problem as well?
“Everyone has sponsors at some point but it’s just about how consistent they are. Yes, I have faced problems but I have these small sponsors and hopefully, I can perform at a level and I am heard, I should be sponsored,” he said. “To be in the top 100 you should be spending more to reach to that level. You need a travelling coach, a fitness coach and much more spending, simple as that.” It is here that one can sense an aggression in Navdeep.
“When you are playing the Futures, you are also playing high-level tennis but people don’t realize that. They are only concerned about the rankings,” he said. “So it takes only results to prove that you can actually do it as I did it this time.” So now that he has tasted blood what is next on the anvil?
“For the next six months it will just be personal development, fitness and hopefully a ranking in the top 500. The next year I’ll try to get wild cards in big events so that it prepares me for the next to next year when I can actually play in these events,” said Navdeep. “I’m ready to push myself, whatever it takes.”
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