SPORTS
"I am still looking for my game in this jungle," said Saketh Myneni who qualified into the singles main draw of the Tata Open Maharashtra after nearly throwing away the advantage against Egor Gerasimov of Belarus, in Pune on Sunday.
"I am still looking for my game in this jungle," said Saketh Myneni who qualified into the singles main draw of the Tata Open Maharashtra after nearly throwing away the advantage against Egor Gerasimov of Belarus, in Pune on Sunday.
Myneni is now fourth Indian in the draw and will open his campaign against French fifth seed Benoit Paire, who is coming into the season after enduring a mediocre 2018.
Myneni was leading 4-1, with two breaks in his kitty, but was soon trailing 4-5 in the decisive third set against the Belarusian, ranked 163.
However, he pulled it off in the tie-breaker, winning 6-4 6-7(4) 7-6(4). He let out a scream when Gerasimov hit one wide on the second match point.
"That was like giving it back to the so many fans who were cheering for me. I was not emotional. It depends, I did not want to disappoint the fans," said Myneni, who generally doesn't show his emotions on court.
Ask him about the third set and he quips, "It was up and down, it's part of my life." Myneni has been bothered by consistent injuries which never allowed him to reach his potential till now.
"It not great to give away breaks at this level. I am still trying to find my game in this jungle. I am still watching the videos from 2015 and 2016 and trying to figure out," he said.
But he did make the final of Bengaluru Challenger recently.
"Last year I played 11-12 tournaments and though I made the final at Bengaluru, but I did not play the way I want to play," he explained.
So what is that he is missing in his game? "Like I changed the racquets and now I am back to old racquet (babalot, which he hired from Yuki) and I am still looking for the kind of strings I need, which gives me some edge in my game," he said.
"I am basically a feel player (sic), I need to feel the ball, there is not much power. Then there is nutrition part and recovery process. I am also trying to be physically aggressive." Myneni also suffered an injury scare during the match when he needed a physio on the court for treatment on his serving arm.
"It was soreness and tight because I played a couple of wrong shots and it triggered the pain." Talking about the see-saw third set, Myneni admitted he allowed Gerasimov to claw his way back.
"I played defensive at 4-1 and he took advantage. I should have dictated the point but did not hit deep. Instead, he put me on run. And again at 4-3, I started well but played loose, missed my shots," he said.
Apart from the win, he was happy about one more thing.
"After playing for two and a half hours I did not cramp and I will take it from this match." Myneni, who trains with Tennis Australia's Jaymon Crabb, said he will try to be competitive against world number 52 Paire.
Ajay Devgn's absence from Kajol's Valentine's Day post sparks speculation: 'Kalesh chal raha hai'
Bad news for Anil Ambani, his company's loss widens to Rs 3298 crore in 3 months, its business is...
Premanand Maharaj's morning yatra set to resume after..., it was stopped because...
Champions Trophy 2025: Gautam Gambhir, Ajit Agarkar clash over Shreyas Iyer's position in team
239 composite liquor shops to be opened in..., booze business ramps up in...
BIG blow to Mukesh Ambani's Reliance, company loses Rs 67526 crore in just...
Elon Musk-led DOGE halts Rs 175 crore election funding for India due to...
Malaika Arora shares her Paneer Thecha recipe, here's how you can make it
Mahakumbh viral girl Monalisa steps into 5-star hotel for lunch for first time, see viral post
Meet CID-fame actor, who once did a show for Rs 20, lost his wife due to...now earns...
Vinod Kambli makes surprising move, former Indian cricketer decides to donate...
Sachin Tendulkar breaking heart on V Day with Anjali in tow is oddly satisfying, watch viral video
Ekta Kapoor to face police probe, Mumbai court orders inquiry for...
Lahori Zeera makers likely to get Rs 450 crore as fundraising from Motilal Oswal among others
'You're pregnant': Ileana D'Cruz expecting second child with Michael Dolan!
Akshay Kumar touches Amitabh Bachchan's feet at ISPL2 finale, their association goes back to...
Who is Lalit Modi’s new Valentine? All about Rima Bouri, IPL founder’s new girlfriend
India's big 'treasure' is hidden here, once THIS work is done country will earn Rs...
This country hits big JACKPOT, discovers one of world's biggest gold reserves worth Rs...
Roadies XX star Prince Narula, Yuvika Chaudhary demand Rs 20 lakh bribe? Here's what we know
What led to stampede at New Delhi Railway Station that killed 18 people? 10 points
King Kong: This 6-Foot-8 buffalo named the world’s tallest by Guinness World Records
Shakira’s metallic wolf gown took 600 hours to create, designed by THIS Indian couturier
84 year marriage, 13 kids, 100 grandkids, viral couple sets record
Harshvardhan Rane, Mawra Hocane react to Amitabh Bachchan's shout out to Sanam Teri Kasam re-release
Chhaava box office collection day 2: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna film mints Rs 67 crore
15 injured in stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, probe on
Amitabh Bachchan was 'mind-blown' in a Bangkok strip club, reveals...: 'He was wearing...'
Watch: Gautam Adani and his wife offered 'chadar' at Ajmer Sharif Dargah
European man shares 10 lessons that shattered his western mindset after moving to India
'India needs strong production base, not empty words': LoP Rahul Gandhi's veiled dig at centre
Ranveer Allahbadia says he’s getting death threats from..., promises he won’t...
Bad news for Rohit Sharma ahead of Champions Trophy 2025, BCCI to take huge step on India captain
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries buys new company for Rs 6.73 crore, it is called...
Who was Lavoo Mamledar, former MLA who died after altercation with...in...
World's largest gold deposit worth over Rs 7 lakh crore found in China, hidden beneath....
Video Viral: Monalisa Bhosle, Mahakumbh sensation, takes first-ever flight to Kozhikode
Who Owns Burj Khalifa? Know the SURPRISING owner of the world's tallest building
Legendary Bengali singer-songwriter Pratul Mukhopadhyay passes away at 82
Whale swallows, then spits out kayaker as moment is captured on camera; WATCH viral video
'I do not regret being part of it': Raghu Ram opens up on India's Got Latent controversy
Meet influencer Ashley Clair who claims Tesla CEO Elon Musk is the father of her child
After Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh cuts ties with Ranveer Allahabadia – Here's what happened!
NASA’s curiosity Rover captures stunning twilight clouds on Mars, leaves internet in awe