Now that I have TIME… to reminisce and to take pause, to reflect on what I have learnt from each of you at our weekend tennis mornings, here are my musings……
PRATAP
Pratap is the quintessential big point player. Every good tennis player knows that all points in tennis are not the same- but only the best (Rafa!) can play each point with equal intensity. Certainly not us social players. So if you are 1-3 down, 30-30 on your serve, serving for the set at 5-4, serving to stay in the match, serving to win the match or in a tie-break, Pratap’s the guy to have as your doubles partner. Like my friend Arun, he can be on occasion, a petulant wit, but as miserly as he is in gifting you a point, he seems to reserve his big heart for a crisis – you can always depend on
him when the chips are down, and not just at tennis. I have learnt from him to always Play to Win, to have a game plan before you start, and to prioritize!
PADDY
Without the relentless professionalism Paddy brings to every aspect of our weekend games, I imagine we would be a motley crew of hackers. He ensures there is no water cooler talk, that warm ups don’t go on too long, the net is exactly 36in high (there are days he measures it between sets!), that no ball remains in a corner for more than 2 rallies (forgetting that none of us are called Del Potro or Safin and that we are incapable of such abuse to the felt of a ball). The other day he set about measuring the length of the clay court at Turf city because he believed that it might be possible that the pros who made this court were a few inches off 78ft! I imagine he would no doubt be a boss’s joy and a subordinate’s pain in the ass at work- as he is unique in the precision and attention, he brings to everything he does. I am awed by all his qualities that I lack- punctuality, attention to detail, and consistency.
GAUTAM
When I first saw Gautam play, I was reminded of the joke Brazilians tell about themselves. All the other countries protested to God when they saw the riches He gave to Brazil. God said, don’t worry- wait till you see the people I put there! Gautam’s natural gifts for tennis were balanced (thank god!) by a mind that was just not, let’s say, tailor made for this game. He had so many options and he didn’t know what to do with all that TIME! Since then, his game has metamorphosed into something that scares the rest of us most days. He seems to relish outwitting an opponent as much as the “nirvana smash from the baseline” that would have made his day in his earlier avatar. It’s the greatest pleasure to see him use his remarkable tennis gifts to outwit, not out hit opponents. At his best, Gautam teaches me that sometimes less is more, and how adjustment and improvement are never limited by nature’s natural gifts.
SRIDHAR
The moment I saw Sridhar hit 2 balls in our very first game I realised he had played the game competitively. He had graced those SRCC court a few years before I looked at them wistfully in 1978. The compactness of his strokes and his shot selection were dead giveaways. He has obviously adjusted brilliantly to all the cuts, bruises, and injuries over decades of playing. Except for that occasionally flashy down-the-line, he plays the percentages and beats you with sheer consistency and rarity of unforced errors. His game is a lesson in resisting the impulses of the brain to preserve the body. It pleases me no end to realise that my best playing days can still be ahead of me- that you don’t have to fire on all cylinders to enjoy this game. Just cut to the chase and keep it simple. That’s it.
NEERAJ
I don’t know Neeraj well personally, but if I were to hazard a guess, his approach to life probably mirrors the way he plays the game – do the best at what you do, and don’t worry too much about the rest. His cross-court forehands that used to skim the net and land benignly at mid court, now have a nicer arc, a greater margin of error over the net. The resultant depth troubles the opponent, mostly because you know he is ready for battle with his one consistent simple shot that will always wear you down. I love playing alongside him because his quiet nonchalant determination is so endearing, but mostly because he never judges your misses – and that lets you do the one thing essential for good tennis- relax your shoulders and hit through the ball!
KD
The power pace and spin of KD’s game is reflective of his relative youth over most of us – I long to hit the ball with the same vicious brutality I was capable of 20 years ago – but his strokes also have beautiful arcs and shapes that elicit collective gasps of futile wonderment from us. I love partnering him because his left-handed serve (why did the tennis Gods give lefties such an unfair advantage ?!) spins and bites and makes the partner at net look such a hero. He is also a treat to have as partner, because he not only doesn’t admonish your misses but empathises and encourages you in the same breath- and thus gives me license to try yet another futile but hopeful drop shot.
BK
BK’s presence off court, much like his tennis, is an exotic mix of north Indian bravado with Tamilian practicality. This strange blend was pretty much his undoing in his earlier avatar. But a stint of coaching and a considerable few inch off the waist and he has pretty much reinvented his game to give us all trouble from unexpected quarters of the court. I see him licking his lips in anticipation at those previously unattainable drop shots that he now slides into with perfect ease. Lifelong learning can be fun too.
RAJ
Almost every time Raj goes up to serve, we all know exactly where that ball is going to land. Bang down the middle, an inch inside the T! And yet his serve is so difficult to defend, let alone attack. Because even if you get to it, he gives you no angle to work on. And if you do somehow get the return over the net, he is right there volleying superbly – sliced deep down the side-line. And although my success rate is probably well below 20% on those drops shots, he is one player I love to play against – simply because I get endless joy testing those quicksilver feet. Supremely calm and collected and an epitome of sportsmanship to boot.
VISHAL
Vishal has one policy- see the ball… hit the ball! and usually when he hits it, it stays hit. Despite his no nonsense approach to the game, when he is on song, he is impossible to play against, especially when he comes in on the beautiful spin of his serve. I keep thinking that he would be so much better at this game if he puts a bit more thought to his madness- but thankfully for us that he gives scant attention to Tennis, which seems to be a mere distraction from his real love – golf.
RAM
It simply never ceases to amaze me how ONE SHOT can win a game of tennis! His forehand – cross court or inside out – seems to be going into the net – every single time- but somehow turns into a deep baseline ball with incredible intensity of purpose. I am delighted to see his joy at being back on the courts after 13 months and still pummeling the ball like before. I marvel at his resolve and the delightfully flippant description of all the procedures he has undergone in every part of his body. Bodes well for my return from minor incisions.
AMIT
Amit does not need a lot of movement – with that whip snap of a forehand.
It’s obvious that he was a very good player in his prime, because when the ball lands in his hitting zone he can be menacing. What is truly inspiring though is his incredible journey back to tennis… back to life. Great to have him back on home turf with new stories to tell.
KAIZAD
I have been playing tennis for almost 40 years and I had never played tennis with a Parsi. Probably because these wonderful people have better things to do than waste Time tirelessly chasing a ball. Come to think of it, are there any Parisis in any sport? Kaizad’s tennis is similarly enigmatic – some days he can do nothing right and on other days he does nothing wrong. Subtle and understated off court and relentless forehand power on court – I am still trying to figure out his methods.
BHASKAR
The game Bhaskar plays defies tennis. He is not SUPPOSED to hit that ball to
that side of the court with that grip! I am constantly surprised how he gets
to the ball because he never seems to move that quick – but invariably when he does, it comes back in unexpectedly difficult angles and arcs – and with a deftness of touch that comes out of nowhere and yet comes often.
I love that he hates to lose and his loud admonishments to himself remind me that the purpose of this game is to win and not play pretty points.
Of that, I need constant reminding……
