In my last post, I tried to give you sense of Flushing Meadows and New York, and how much I loved the off-court experience. However, the tournament itself was a bit of a dampener for myself and Aisam Qureshi, as we lost out to the experienced French pair of Sébastien Grosjean and Marc Gicquel in the first round. The fact that we lost so early was disappointing, especially given that we were both in such great form coming into the tournament. But as I've said before, I love the US Open and I'll be back for sure next year, and hopefully do better.
After the last Grand Slam of the year, I decided to take a few days off at home in Bangalore. In between my training I found time to meet up with a few friends and also get a couple of rounds of golf. I really enjoy playing golf because it helps relax your mind. Next stop on my calendar: The Far East, with the ATP tour events in Bangkok and Tokyo.
The Bangkok experience started off on the right note, with me winning my first round in singles qualifying.Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to the main draw as I lost a really close match in the last qualifying round, with the third set going to 4-6. In doubles me and Aisam were drawn against the experienced top-seeds Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy. We realised that this match was going to be especially tough, because this team had been enjoying a good run of form together, reaching the finals of the US Open. However, I am very proud of the performance we put in. We were quick off the starting blocks in the first set and were looking good to win it. Unfortunately, we ended up losing the set. We kept our cool and our effort rewarded us with the second set. The third set could have gone either way in the super tie-break, but they held on to win 10-7.
Next up was Tokyo. I had to fly in to Tokyo on Friday as my qualies were due to start on Saturday. The conditions in Tokyo were a bit different compared to Bangkok. The tournament was held outdoors and the courts were much quicker. Hence, it took a couple of days to get used to the conditions, and therefore, I think my first round singles qualies came a bit too early for me. Still, I played a good match and lost 6-7 in the third set. Partnering American Eric Butorac, we were up against the 2nd seeded pair of Simon Aspelin and Julian Knowle. The match was scheduled to happen on Monday. Heavy rains, however, forced it to be postponed to Thursday. When it finally happened, though, it seemed worth the wait. It was an extremely tight match where, after winning the first set, we had three match points to win it in the second. We were so close to victory again, but we lost a tight super tiebreak in the third in the end.
These past two weeks have definitely been challenging in many ways. After having been so close to beating top-class teams, we missed out. The draw hasn't been particularly kind either. But I think the positives that I'll be taking from this period is that I am performing well. That is the key in the end, and with the same level of performance, I'm sure the results will improve soon.
This is the first time I am in the US Open doubles main draw along with my partner Aisam ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan.
New York is one of my favorite cities. To be staying in Manhattan and playing my first US Open main draw is extra special. US Open being the last grand slam of the year, I would like to do well here.
I have been in Manhattan for one week now getting ready and practicing for about 3 hours a day and spending an hour in the gym. As I get closer to the matches, practice time wll be down to an hour.
Staying in City is completely a great feeling. You know how they say the city does not sleep - it is true! With so many restaurants and different cusines, no wonder it is loved by tourists. I have been eating in a few restaurants downtown in West Village. I went to this Cuban restaurant called Cafe Cortadito which was awesome. There is a Japanese restaurant just 5 minutes from my hotel in midtown and this place is popular with all the players - and I have been trying some tuna and salmon!
Probably playing the first match on Wednesday against Sébastien Grosjean (pronounced Groh-jahn) and Marc Gicquel from France. Aisam and I are excited about this match.
Aisam made the main draw as a lucky loser, after reaching the final round of the qualies (Qualifiers) and he's up against Carlos Moya in the 1st round. Aisam is the first Pakistani in 34 years to appear in the US Open main draw in the singles event - which is an achievement in itself. I am looking forward to watching this match.
Unfortunately, I was 4th out from the qualies. It was tough being so close yet so far. I guess I just need to work on my singles ranking so that I can play in the qualifiers of the next Grand Slam in Australia next year.
Alright. I am off to the gym now. Catch you all after my first match.
This week is a great week to begin my diary - a remarkable week for Indian sport. And today is August 15th - India's independence. What better time to start blogging.
For those of you who do not know me, I am an aspiring tennis player and a proud Indian. Tennis is my profession - my career if you will.
In my profession, when I take to the courts, I am not referred to as Rohan Bopanna - Tennis player. That would be redundant. My educational qualification, age, family, etc., all are not relevant.
I am Rohan Bopanna - IND.
In the tennis world, just as in much of the sports world, one's country is part of the identity. IND (India) is part of my identity. Peripherally, I am ATP ranked (my highest ranking is 43 in doubles, 213 in singles). For the keener fan, I have made the finals of an ATP event five times. I won my first ATP title last week in LA.
My point is this - when I win, my country is a winner - it is part of my glory. I am proud of this fact - that I play as an Indian. I am in a sport where everyone is working very hard. Everybody wants to excel. Like others, I strive to improve my game. That is the essence of sport - I hope to give it my best.
It is also a fact that in every victory and with every struggle, I hope that I have inspired more people from India to embrace sport. Just like the other great tennis players before me that inspired me - Ramanathan Krishnan, Vijay Amritraj, Ramesh Krishnan, Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and other senior players. And there are many others in my own generation - I am merely continuing the splendid tradition of tennis in India. I have been inspired by the Indian greats - both in my sport and in other sports.
The last few days have marked an extraordinary milestone for India. A fellow Indian, Abhinav Bindra, just won an Olympic gold medal for an individual sport. His feat of individual excellence has been called epochal. A billion hopes for an individual gold medal have been fulfilled - for the first time. The Indian anthem was played and the tricolor was unfurled after a long time for being the best in an Olympic event. Every wave begins as a ripple and I have no doubt that Abhinav's achievement will transform the sporting future of India. My congratulations to him.
As a fellow sportsman, I am very proud of his achievement - he silently toiled on the firing range for years. I can relate to the struggles that preceded this brilliant effort. It is easy to say - oh, we are a billion people - and we have not won a single gold. Winning is not a numbers game. It takes hard work. Commitment. And perseverance. He had them all.
The last few days have been satisfying for me too. I won my first ATP title on the same day that Bindra won his path breaking gold. It was Sunday (August 11th). I made the finals of an ATP doubles event for the second time this year. And I can now claim to have won my first ATP title. Eric Butorac and I won the doubles event at the Countrywide Classic. This is a month after me and my partner Aisam Qureshi made it to the finals in Newport in July, before losing the final battle. But two finals in two months gives me satisfaction. Things are looking up. Winning has a way of boosting your confidence.
I started playing tennis at 11, and I have steadily improved my game. Aside from the fact that I won an ATP title for the first time, I have the satisfaction that my rankings are improving and are going to improve further after this win. And that to me is the real deal. To improve, to overcome limitations, to win - I aspire to win.
I like DreamTennis.com. It is a pioneering effort - to create a tennis community for Indian tennis lovers. I can relate to the website's name - DREAM TENNIS. Every sportsman has dreamed of excellence. There are thousands of tennis players in India who aspire to win a grand slam event. And each day, they are working hard to make that dream come true.
With my DreamTennis blog, I hope to share my experiences with you - perhaps I can inspire a few of my fellow Indians to dream.