Chennai: India’s junior Davis Cup coach Nandan Bal is in the city to prepare the country’s young crop for the Chennai Open qualifiers as well as the main draw. The former national champion said Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan, Yuki Bhambri, Sriram Balaji, Ramkumar Ramanthan and Saketh Myneni deserved their wild cards for India’s only ATP tournament.
“I hope the boys will learn some valuable lessons by playing against better players in the Chennai Open,” he said.
Nandan is happy that he has got a bunch of young and talented players. He feels that his charges need more time to mature to make the cut to the highest level consistently. “There is talent. Patience is important to see youngsters mature. Asians reach their peak only in their late 20s,” he said.
“My players are technically sound. My job is to help them develop some specific skills. Each one of them needs attention individually.”
The pull-out of the defending champion, Janko Tipsarevic, as a result of a heel injury opens the Chennai Open field for some surprises, according to Nandan. “A defending champion has the motivation and momentum. His absence leaves the field open. And it could be a motivation for others,” Nandan said. He backed Swiss star Stanislas Wawrinka to go all the way.
Tamil Nadu’s top player Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan said that the presence of Nandan on the sidelines would be a huge advantage for him. “He has been watching me from my junior Davis Cup days and it is always good to have him around. He knows my game and his experience will come in handy for many of us,” he added.
According to Nandan, the Chennai Open court suits Jeevan. “The surface here is a tad slower and Jeevan would love these type of courts. He is mentally tough and his agility would be his strong point,” he said. Somdev Devvarman, Nandan pointed out, would be carrying a lot of expecations.
“He is India’s best bet. He, too, knows the court well. It will be a challenge for him to get past some big names but he has the talent to cross the final hurdle,” he said.
