When Somdev walks into the main draw at the Chennai Open on January 5, he will bury the skeletons from his past and open a fresh account.
MUMBAI: The previous tour to his country doesn’t bring back pleasant memories for Somdev Devvarman. On his debut in India’s Davis Cup team, the 23-year-old put up a dismal performance losing to Uzbekistan’s Farrukh Dustov in Delhi. But as they say, bygones are bygones, and more so when you are beginning a new season in a New Year.
So, when Somdev walks into the main draw at the Chennai Open on January 5, he will bury the skeletons from his past and open a fresh account. “I am a better player now, I have improved a lot on my fitness and overall technique. I deserved the wild card entry and I believe that I can compete well with top players in the tourney,” Somdev told DNA from Chennai.
This will be Somdev’s first appearance in the Chennai Open that will see him in the main draw. “In 2004 and 2006 I had to play the qualifiers. This time I am in the main draw and that’s exciting. Also, playing in front of the home crowd will be electrifying, especially for me since I have played ten years of my junior tennis here in Chennai,” he said.
Somdev, who is a recent graduate from the University of Virginia in the US, feels that he can easily break into the top 100, if he continues his current form. “I have the potential to break into the top 100 league. I have played against some of the top 100 players and know that I belong there. It’s only a matter of time,” he added.
Another important aspect of Somdev’s preparations this year is the three-week training he gained from American tennis sensation Andy Roddick. “I trained with him in my off-season and it has definitely been a great learning experience. I think he is one of the hardest working players that I have seen in my life and that inspired me a lot. I have taken that lesson from him,” Somdev added.
Somdev, who enjoys playing on hard courts, said that the hype that surrounds his emergence as India’s next tennis star doesn’t affect his performance. “When I walk into the courts nothing affects. People have to talk and they will keep talking. My job is to play tennis and I will continue doing that,” he concluded.
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