“CELEBRATING 25 YEARSOF INDIAN TENNIS”

Sania Mirza at DSCL Open Nationals in 1999

FOREWORD SANIA MIRZA

It was many years ago, when I played the tournament. It was the most important tournament of the season. I was very young, and played all the events.

One thing I remember very well was winning the doubles National title with Ankita Bhambri. We beat Rushmi Chakravarthi and Sai Jayalakshmy who were the undisputed best team at that time. We were only 14 or 15.

It was an amazing memory for me. It used to be the DSCL National championship. It was always more of a spectacle. Literally, thousands of players used to come for the tournament.

It was one tournament nobody wanted to miss. It was like a festival. Always used to be held over two weeks. The beauty of the tournament was that all age groups used to be held together.

It was one of the best at that time, played on good courts. We could meet all the players from all over the country. All the people associated with tennis assembled. It was very prestigious. It served as a stepping stone to one’s career. If you won the national title, you got selected for the Davis Cup. Sunil Kumar winning it when he was 16 was unforgettable.

I hope they make the National championship count the way it used to be in those days.

I remember winning the mixed doubles with Rohan Bopanna. I was 14 at that time, if I remember right. He was also emerging as a good player. It was the first mixed doubles that I had played.

When you see the old photos, of course a lot of memories come gushing. DSCL was so much part of every player’s life. One of the favourite from the players point of view. It used to be very competitive. There used to be another national championship in Kolkata, on grass.

I think there was a lot of importance attached to the national championship when we were growing up. I am talking about 20 years ago. I am 33 now!

It was the most important event for the players. I hope they do something to bring back the importance for the national championship again. It helped everyone gauge how good you were as a player. Of course, a lot of factors have seen the National championship losing its importance.

I am glad that the suggestion for equal prize money for women was so quickly implemented when I attended the presentation function some years ago. It was the right thing to do.

I think the tournament deserves a little more publicity. When we used to play, the whole country knew about it.

MESSAGE FROM VICE PRESIDENT

MESSAGE FROM THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

MESSAGE FROM CHIEF MINISTER

MESSAGE FROM THE SPORTS MINISTER

MESSAGE FROM MR ANIL KHANNA

ALL INDIA TENNIS ASSOCIATION

S. M. KRISHNA YASHWANT SINHA ANIL K. KHANNA H O N. L I F E P R E S I D E N T S

PRAVEEN MAHAJAN HIRONMOY CHATTERJEE PRESIDENT HON. SECRETARY GENERAL SUMAN KAPUR ANIL DHUPAR HON. JOINT SECRETARY HON. JOINT SECRETARY RAKTIM SAIKIA HON. TREASURER

R .K. Khanna Tennis Stadium, Africa Avenue, New Delhi – 110 029, India Off: + 91-11- 2617 6280-81, 26176283-85, Fax: 91 – 11 – 26173159

E-mail: aita@aitatennis.com Website: www.aitatennis.com

MESSAGE It is heartening to welcome the 25th edition of the Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship

commencing from 30 September to 12 October 2019 at the DLTA Complex. The event brings back very

fond memories from its inception and has gone on to evolve as a bigger and better championship over the

years. I convey my heartiest compliments and good wishes to the entire team of DLTA along with the team of

Fenesta & DCM Shriram for their commitment, hard work and endeavor towards tennis development in

India. Special mention goes to my dear friend Mr. Ajay Sriram , for his vision and commencement of this

illustrious tennis journey of the Fenesta Open National Tennis Championships.

This event is much awaited and welcomed annually by the entire tennis fraternity of our country.

It is the largest championship on the domestic circuit, spread across age categories of Men, Women, U-18,

U-16, & U-14 Boys & Girls.

I am sure the event will create an atmosphere of healthy competition for the players and will provide a

healthy tennis feast to the sports fraternity in Delhi & India.

I once again convey my best wishes to the organizers and good luck to all the participates for having a

memorable and successful championship in 2019.

Best regards, ANIL K. KHANNA HON.LIFE PRESIDENT

MESSAGE FROM MR AJAY S SHRIRAM

CHAMPIONS IN THE MAKING

1992The Beginning of the Tennis Championship was in 1992 at DLTA Stadium under the aegis of All India Tennis Association and was called ‘SHRIRAM OPEN’ as it had open entries. This was the Delhi State Open Championship and led to the beginning of the ‘Nationals’ in 1993.

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Shalini Thakur during the final set of the Womens Singles Match, Shriram Open 1992.

Source : DCM Shriram Archives

Dr. Bharat Ram, Chairman Emeritus, DCM Ltd. giving trophy to S. Narendra Nath (Runners-Up), Mens Singles, Shriram Open 1992

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YED FAZALUDDIN HAD BEEN making the waves, but it was the Shriram Open that helped him establish his tennis career. The elder son of Dronacharya awardee football coach Syed Naeemuddin had failed to draw the attention of Ramanathan Krishnan and Sumant Mishra during the trials to select trainees for the AITA Academy in the Capital. He had lost to Lavnish Chatrath in the national junior championship final on grass in Lucknow.

It was a remarkable performance by the energetic Fazal as he came through the qualifying rounds and beat a strong field that had quality players like K. G. Ramesh, S. Narendra Nath, Anand Sukumar, Manoj Kumar and Nitin Kirtane apart from several talented youngsters.

A stint with coach Akhtar Ali had helped Fazal sharpen his game after he had been kept out of the fray in the Limca junior tournament because of examinations. He had to overcome a back injury that had stopped him from picking up a tennis racquet for two months earlier.

In beating Vasudeva Reddy, a trainee of the AITA Academy, 6-0 in the second and final set, Fazal emphasised his immense potential. It was not a surprise that in later years, he went on to represent the country in Davis Cup. In a thriller of a final, Fazal held his nerves when it mattered to emerge a worthy winner.

Sahiba Chadha, the only girl to have had training at the BAT Centre in Chennai, a stable that had tuned players like Leander Paes, Asif Ismail,

1993

S

Syed Fazaluddin and Sahiba Chadha emerge the champions

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Gaurav Natekar and Rohit Rajpal, played hard enough to win the women’s title. She, however, could not match Jahnavi Parekh in the under-18 girls final. In fact, the women’s and junior fields were almost similar.

Rushmi Chakravarthi and Sai Jayalakshmy won the women’s doubles title. In the years ahead, they were to make a strong bond that would see them win numerous international

doubles titles. Vishaal Uppal won the under-18 title with a

quality fare. He had his chances against Manoj Kumar in the men’s event, but was unable to drive home the advantage in the climax. He did mature into a quality player, and went on to represent the country in Davis Cup and had a memorable pairing with Leander Paes in the doubles rubber against the Koreans in Delhi a

Intikhab Ali, Y Sandeep, Vishal Uppal, Jahnvi Parekh and Uzma Khan Winners of Shriram Open Junior Nationals 1993

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VISHAAL UPPAL

I always looked forward to

playing the Fenesta/Shriram

nationals. I have had some

amazing memories from this

event over the years both in

triumph, in defeat and injuries.

The organising team has

always been friendly and

welcoming to all players. I have

made many good friendships

over the years through this

event. The event is always

run professionally and the

whole team works tirelessly

and exhaustively to make it a

success each year. Can’t thank

Mr. Ajay Shriram and the entire

team at his organisation enough

for their continued support

and encouragement of tennis

through this event.

I wish everyone associated

with this event the very best

always. I hope this event keeps

growing in stature with each

passing year. Winning the

Fenesta Nationals was always

a highlight while growing up. It

is the most prestigious national

event and winning it really meant

a lot. When I was playing then,

almost every top player played

it so the competition was tough,

which made it that much more

special and meaningful.

I think every player in India

should aspire to win this coveted

title and have it in their resume

whether as a junior or a senior.

Mr. Anil K. Khanna presenting trophy to Sahiba Chadha (Winner) Womens Singles, Shriram Open 1993

Mr Ajay S. Shriram presenting trophy to Syed Fazaluddin, Mens Singles (Winner) Shriram Open 1993

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few years later. Intikhab Ali was able to master the under-16

boys field, while the Chennai left-hander Aparna Ravi was impressive in beating local girl Swati Rao in three sets in the final. Aparna was to reach the women’s singles semifinals the following year on grass in the national championship in Chandigarh, an event that saw Mahesh Bhupathi win his maiden national title.

A clutch of kids, the eventual champion Y.

Sandeep, Ajay Ramaswami, Shriranga Sudhakar and Jay Patel delighted with their game in the under-14 section to project a bright future. Sandeep had the strength of concentration to outplay Ajay Ramaswami in the final. The trainee of AITA Academy indeed made his coach T. Chandrasekaran proud.

Equally, Uzma Khan gave a hint of what she was capable of, by winning the under-14 title with ease. She got a walkover from Aparna in

Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting trophy to K.G Ramesh and Surath Narendranath, (Runners-up) Mens Doubles, Shriram Open 1993

Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting trophy to Uzma Khan (Winner), Girls U-14 Singles, Shriram Open 1993

The Shriram Open T-Shirts on Sale Nitin Kirtane in action at the DLTA Courts during the Shriram Open 1993

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UNDER-18 BOYS: Vishaal Uppal bt Rajesh Vohra 7-6(8), 7-5.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Jahnavi Parekh bt Sahiba Chadha 6-3, 6-3.

UNDER-16 BOYS: Initkhab Ali btRohanMalhotra 7-6(4), 7-5.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Aparna Ravi bt Swati Rao 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

UNDER-14 BOYS: Y. Sandeep bt Ajay Ramaswami 6-2, 6-3.

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Uzma Khan bt Hetal Parekh 6-2, 6-1.

the semifinals, but was too good for Hetal Parekh in the final. Hetal was perhaps exhausted after her semifinal against Nehal Chopra that she won in the third set tie-break.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Syed Fazaluddinbt S. Narendra Nath 7-6 (6), 4-6, 7-6 (3); Doubles: Nandan Bal and Rohit Rajpal bt K. G. Ramesh and S. Narendra Nath 6-4, 6-4.

Women: Sahiba Chadha bt Shalini Thakur 7-5, 7-6 (4); Doubles: Rushmi Chakravarthi and SaiJayalakshmy bt Sohini Kumari and Shalini Thakur 6-3, 7-6 (1).

I have fond memories of the event and I recently was sharing it with my nine year old son who plays and looks quite interested in the sport. I was down a match point in the qualies and hit a backhand overhead to beat Rajesh Vohra in the last round and ended up winning the tournament.

It was a very well run event and it was an honour to have participated in it. My tennis career was good for me. Given the cards and limitations we had , thanks to my father Syed Naeemuddin’s sacrifices and efforts I was able to play Davis Cup for India which was my childhood dream. It’s great to see people still involved with tennis. Living so far away in America, I am not in the know about the quality of events now but I am sure it is being done well. My best wishes to all involved. SYED FAZALUDDIN

“Surath Narendranath in action at the DLTA Court during Mens Singles finals 1993

The famous hill of DLTA Complex

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T WAS A TOURNAMENT that got pushed away from 1994. In an attempt to maintain continuity, it was decided to hold the event in February 1995, prior to the national championship in Bangalore. In the event, the tournament served as a preparatory ground for most. Vikrant Chadha, a trainee of the Britannia Amritraj Tennis (BAT) Centre in Chennai was able to assert himself ahead of the seasoned K. G. Ramesh, cousin of national champion Nirupama Vaidyanathan, who was the best Indian woman tennis player before Sania Mirza broke into the scene. Wild card Vikrant kept his composure in a thriller of a final as he downed the third seeded Ramesh 7-5 in the third set. It was in stark contrast to the manner in which Vikrant had outplayed R. Manoj Kumar 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals to

give a hint of his potential. Ramesh has always been a tough customer, and a real taskmaster when it came to giving the lessons to the youngsters. The wily pro, with a never say die spirit, Ramesh had wriggled out of the clutches of Akshat Mishra who had held two matchpoints in the quarterfinals, before prevailing 3-6, 7-6 (10), 6-4.

The Kirtane cousins, Sandeep and Nitin, were able to show their class in the doubles field as they subdued the talented duo of Vishaal Uppal and Jaideep Shetty in the final after overpowering Manoj Kumar and M. Balachandran 6-1, 6-1 in the semifinals. Vishaal and Jaideep were able to assert their class against Ramesh and Narendra Nath 6-4, 6-2 in the other semifinals.

It was an anti-climax in the women’s final, as the

1994

IVikrant Chadha and Arati Ponnappa take the honours

Mr. Ajay S Shriram with the Winners and Runners-up of the Mens Singles and Doubles, Shriram Open Nationals 1994

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top-seeded Janaki Krishnamoorthy had to rush back following the news of her grandfather’s demise. The second-seeded Arati Ponnappa who had worked her way past the gutsy Archana Venkataraman 6-2, 3- 6, 6-1 in the semifinals won the trophy without having to get on court for the final. Janaki had struggled past Archana’s elder sister, Arthi, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the other semifinals. In doubles, Arati and Janaki gave a walk-over to the Delhi pair of Rohika Hardas and Shalini Thakur.

A bunch of talented boys, Amandeep Singh, Y. Sandeep and Manoj Mahadevan were able to showcase their talent as they won the under-18, 16 and 14 events in the boys section. The talented Rohan Saikia was seeded No.1 in the under-14 section, but had no answers to the second-seeded Manoj as he went down for the loss of four games.

In the girls section, third seeded Archana Venkataraman was able to quell the challenge from the second-seeded Aparna Ravi in three sets in the final. Archana had pulled off a memorable 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-1 win over Shalini Thakur in the semifinals and thus was thrilled to take her challenge to the logical conclusion. In comparison, the left-handed Aparna, with an attacking game and a high degree of concentration, was however, able to win the under-16 final and assert her No.1 seeding. Sheethal Goutham was able to show her strong composure and a steady game as she clinched the honour in the under-14 event in a field that had among others Radhika Tulpule, Sonia Shelar and P. Anujapathi.

ARATI PONAPPA NATEKAR

I was training and was going through a bad patch; my career was in a mess. I remember, losing ridiculous matches, first round.

Things had to change for the good. It was Shriram Open on grass court. In Indian tennis there was not much sponsorship, other than Shriram. It helped us get some money to travel the circuit. I had lost 4 or 5 finals before that. I won both hard and grass court nationals one year.

I used to remember Shriram Open as one big, long tournament. I remember one incident. I had a fitness coach VR Beedu. Rahul Dravid and others used to train with him. I was driving back home after one training session. I remember my legs were shivering. Suddenly, the signal became red, but I could not stop and continued. The cop stopped me. In those days we had good media coverage. So, he recognised me as a player. I think I was driving a Maruti 800. He let me go!

In my career, I could have done better. The game has given me so much, including my husband Gaurav Natekar. So, I am happy. I wish I could have continued for some more time.

What the organisers DCM Shriram have done is phenomenal. I did watch it a couple of years ago. I was impressed by the professional manner. Hats off to them, they have done it for so many years. It is a great contribution to Indian tennis, in today’s time. I have not gone to the tournament recently, so it is difficult to suggest anything. They made equal prize money, without thinking too much about it. I hope they continue to support Indian tennis in a big way.

The trophies at the Shriram Open 1994

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Vikrant Chadha bt K. G. Ramesh 6-4, 4-6, 7-5; Doubles: Sandeep Kirtane and Nitin Kirtane bt Vishaal Uppal and Jaideep Shetty 7-6 (3), 6-2.

Women: Arati Ponnappa w.o. Janaki Krishnamoorthy; Doubles: Rohika Hardas and

Shalini Thakur w.o. Arati Ponnappa and Janaki Krishnamoorthy.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Amandeep Singh bt Desh Gaurav Sekhri 6-2, 6-3; Doubles: Vijay Kannan and Mustafa Ghouse bt Kartik Raj and Farhan Ali 5-7, 6-1, 6-3.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Archana Venkataraman bt Aparna Ravi 6-2, 3-6, 6-2; Doubles: Sheethal

Mrs. Vandana Shriram, Mr. Ajay S Shriram and Mr. Vikram S Shriram at Shriram Open Tennis 1994

Mr. Rajat Mukherjee escorting Mr. Mantosh Sondhi, Chairman, DSCL along with Mr. Harish Mehta at Shriram Open Tennis 1994

Mr. Anil Khanna, Mr. Mantosh Sondhi and Mr. Ajay S Shriram with all Winners and Runners-up of the Under-18, 16 and 14 Boys & Girls categories of Shriram Open

Mrs. Vandana A. Shriram presenting trophy to Shailini Thakur (Winner) Womens Doubles, Shriram Open Tennis Nationals 1994

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Mrs. Vandana A. Shriram with the winners and runners-up of the Womens Singles and Doubles Shriram Open Nationals, 1994

Mr. Mantosh Sondhi welcoming the audience at the Shriram Open Nationals with Mr. Ajay S Shriram and Mr. Anil Khanna

Mr. Anil Khanna introducing a Tennis player to Mr. Ajay S Shriram at the press players get together, 1994

Tennis Players at the press-players get-together 1994

Goutham and Aparna Suresh bt Pooja Deshmukh and Aparna Srinivasan 6-3, 6-1.

UNDER-16 BOYS: Y. Sandeep bt Ajay Ramaswami 6-2, 6-0.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Aparna Ravi bt Shubha Srinivasan 7-5, 6-0.

UNDER-14 BOYS: Manoj Mahadevan bt Rohan Saikia 6-2, 6-2.

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Sheethal Goutham bt P. Anujapathi 6-4, 6-0.

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ITIN KIRTANE BEAT THE fourth member of the Indian Davis Cup squad, Asif Ismail, in a tough final to emphasise that he was the player for the future. The 21-year-old Nitin used the backhand slice with great effect to tease and torment Asif who likes the ball to bounce nicely and come on to this racquet for forceful strokeplay. The Pune left-hander, a trainee of NandanBal at the Batra Centre, Nitin showed that it was possible to make strokes look like potent weapons if one had the will to fight.

It was a creditable fare, considering that it was a quality field with players like Vikrant Chadha, Saurav Panja, Amandeep Singh, Salil Seshadri, Jaideep Shetty, Vasudeva Reddy and Vishaal Uppal in the fray. K. G. Ramesh and Narendra Nath were also present and progressed a lot farther than the youngsters did, emphasising that there was no match for experience against misguided youth.

The presence of two players of repute, Janaki Krishnamoorthy, the national hard court champion, and fluent-stroking Arati Ponnappa did not stop the gutsy Archana Venkataraman from bagging the women’s title.

Other talented players like Sai Jayalakshmy, Rushmi Chakravarthi, Shuba Srinivasan, Hrushida Kamthe, Uzma Khan and Sadiya Pathan were unable to assert themselves the way Archana eventually did.

However, Uzma Khan had the consolation of winning the junior title at the expense of Archana whom she beat 6-0 in the third set. Archana was tired after the women’s final, though she had conceded a mere three games in that, to Rashmi Khanna. Uzma also captured the under-16 title without much fuss.

1995Nitin Kirtane and Archana Venkataraman emphasise their strong will

N

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Archana finished runner-up in the women’s doubles along with her elder sister Arthi Venkataraman, against Sai and Janaki. The bespectacled P. Anujapathi stopped Sheethal Goutham in the under-14 final, and revealed remarkable reserves of fighting spirit. She hit the ball with a flourish and enjoyed her game to the hilt, running down everything. The Madras girl, a student of Church Park Convent, recovered from being close to defeat at 0-6, 2-5 to record a memorable triumph. DHAITA trainees Amandeep Singh and Rohan Wadehra clashed in the under-18 boys final and the former prevailed with his all-round energetic game and higher intensity of concentration. These two talented players were to later move to the US for education and career, leaving tennis far behind in their priority list. Harsh Mankad won the under-16 title while Manoj Mahadevan won the honour in the under-14 event. Both were a cut above the rest and promised to shoulder the responsibility of carrying the country’s hopes. It was a very satisfactory experience for the organisers to have conducted events in all the age groups, catering to more than 1000 players within a week. The total pursue of nearly ten lakh rupees of prize money and scholarship funds was a huge attraction for Indian tennis. The men’s and women’s winners were presented Rs. 40,000 and Rs. 27,000 respectively. It was a rich purse as money had much better value then.

The idea was mooted to expand the event to two weeks so that the players could do justice to their talent in a more leisurely fashion, rather than run through the grind, that was physically taxing and took the freshness away from the mind.

ARCHANA VENKATARAMAN

Fenesta has been great in supporting tennis

and is one of the best tournaments in India, it is

India’s tennis carnival. Fenesta/ Shriram open

is the ultimate tournament in India. It is like

winning Wimbledon. Yes, it is the Wimbledon

of India. For me, it was such an amazing

experience that I don’t have words to

describe it.

It had a great impact on my tennis career.

Once i performed in the tournament, I became

a known name in the national circuit, a player

who was recognised. From being just a player

it elevated my position to one of the best in

the country. As far as tennis goes, it had a great

impact on my career,i got selected to represent

India in SAF games, winning a gold medal for

India. For a sportsperson like me, it was the

ultimate. So, I would say it gave me that push

and made me a player, whom opponents fear.

It was one of the most well organised

tournaments in India. The atmosphere was

amazing, so many players gathered together,

the energy was awesome and the atmosphere

was like a carnival or a music concert, lots

of people and high energy. I coach tennis.

I am happy for all that i have achieved and

thankful for all the opportunities I got. It gave

me so many new experiences and I would say

tennis has shaped me and given me so much

inner strength and a purpose in life. It is truly

amazing that the DCM Shriram group has

stayed with the event for more than 25 years.

You would never know all that you have done

for Indian tennis. The prize money of your

tournament has been great from beginning

and i cannot thank you enough for your

support to players like me. Keep up the great

work. You have helped immensely, many

tennis players, thank you

It is an amazing tournament. Thank you!!

Shriram Open Nationals winners: Aman (Boys U18 Singles), Uzma Khan (Girls U-18 Singles), Archana Venkatraman (Women’s Singles) and Nitin Kirtane (Mens Singles)

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Nitin Kirtane bt Asif Ismail 7-6 (6), 7-5; Doubles: Asif Ismail and Sandeep Kirtane bt Nitin Kirtane and Saurav Panja 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

Women: Archana Venkataraman bt Rashmi Khanna 6-1, 6-2; Doubles: Sai Jayalakshmy and Janaki Krishnamoorthy bt Archana Venkataraman and Arthi Venkataraman 6-4, 7-6 (1).

UNDER-18 BOYS: Amandeep Singh bt Rohan Wadehra 6-3, 6-4; Doubles: Shailesh Dhoble and Amod Wakalkar bt Ajay Ramaswami and Shriranga Sudhakar 6-4, 6-4.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Uzma khan bt Archana Venkataraman 5-7, 6-4, 6-0; Doubles: Ritu Sethi and Mabel Abraham bt Nehal Chopra and Aparna Srinivasan 5-7, 6-4, 6-1.

UNDER-16 BOYS: Harsh Mankad bt Jay Patel 6-4, 6-3.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Uzma Khan bt Aparna Srinivasan 6-2, 6-1.

UNDER-14 BOYS: Manoj Mahadevan bt Nilesh Saldanha 6-4, 6-2.

UNDER 14 GIRLS: P. Anujapathi bt Sheethal Goutham 0-6, 7-5, 6-3.

The Fenesta Open was the most important tournament on the Indian tennis calendar. All the players including me looked forward to playing this event anxiously. I am happy to be part of this wonderful tournament for so many years. Winning this tournament three times gave me and my tennis career a big boost as all players competed in the Fenesta Nationals. After my victory, I got closer to the ultimate aim of making it to the Indian Davis Cup team. This event carried great significance as doing well and winning it got you closer to representing the country in international events… Doing consistently well in this tournament for so many years kept my Indian ranking also very high. I used to plan my schedule around this event so I made sure that I had enough match practice and good fitness, stayed injury free, before the tournament. The event was a very coordinated effort by the organiers led by Ms. Chandni Lamba earlier and then Mr SN Chatterjee took over. The players were looked after well with the seeded players getting accommodation also.

The DLTA courts were buzzing with tennis mania for two weeks and it was a mela on show with all players from around the country coming to play as qualifying was a open draw. So, everyone wanted to play.

I am currently employed with Central Railways in Pune, and helping players is a joy for me. I congratulate and compliment the DCM Shriram Group for conducting this tournament for 25 years. is very important to sponsor tennis events and this has been the most important one. I congratulate both the AITA and DCM Shriram Group for this super event. I am quite satisfied with my tennis career although i could have played more tournaments out of the country but due to lack of sponsors i missed out. Whatever events I managed to play abroad, were on my own.

I also suggest men’s and women’s players be given travel and daily allowance. Yes, the tournament offers good prize in the last few years to the winner runner up. But with today’s cost it will help players a lot to have the allowance. In fact, as in the junior circuit, the AITA should think on giving daily allowance to players on AITA pro tour, as it will help in cutting cost and give players some boost.

Nitin Kirtane

“

Shriram Open Mens Singles winner: Nitin Kirtane

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T WAS A SEASON IN which tournaments were hardly held as the major sponsor of the Indian circuit had pulled away. The Shriram Open in which the junior events were given the status of the national championship proved a big hit, offering more than ten lakh rupees in prize money and scholarship.

Except for Leander Paes who won the Olympic bronze in Atlanta, his doubles partner Mahesh Bhupathi and the talented striker Prahlad Srinath everybody else who had a name in Indian tennis was present to ensure a strong tournament.

By winning the men’s title against the strong young lad Vikrant Chadha, the short-built but sweet-stroking Sandeep Kirtane emphasised that he was still in contention to get a recall into the Indian Davis Cup squad. In doing so, Sandeep also ensured the domination of Kirtanes in the tournament as his cousin Nitin had won the title in the earlier edition.

The former Asian junior champion, Sandeep had earlier delightfully hit his way past Davis Cupper Gaurav Natekar. His double-fisted backhands and the flat forehands that often had the opponents rooted to the ground at the baseline were a treat to watch.

The biggest upset was provided by the young Vijay Kannan as he knocked out the topseeded Asif Ismail 6-3, 6-0 in the first round. Asif had been disillusioned after being dropped from the Davis Cup squad despite him having worked hard to push his ATP rank to the 400s. He lacked the focus to fight it out.

1996

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Sandeep Kirtane and Jahnavi Parekh power their way to glory

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Dignitaries with the winners of Shriram Open Natioanls 1996

Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting trophy to Akshay Vishal Rao (Winner) Boys U-14 Singles Shriram Open Nationals 1996

Mr. VP Agarwal, ED and Company Secretary, DSCL presenting trophy to Gaurav Natekar (Winner), Mens Doubles, Shriram Open 1996

Gaurav and Vikrant Chadha had the consolation of winning the doubles title as a face saving exercise. Vikrant Chadha was a Davis Cup reserve then and believed to have considerable potential. He later joined the hundreds of talented Indian players in the US on a tennis scholarship and thus could not do justice to his potential in the professional circuit.

Jahnavi Parekh was a class act in the women’s section, though she was stretched to three sets by Sai Jayalskhmy in the final. She beat Uzma Khan in the semifinals. Jahnavi with sound strokes on either flank won the junior title as well, as she beat Archana Venkataraman.

The top-seeded Rushmi Chakravarthi was unable to live up to her standing, but won the

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SANDEEP KIRTANE

Winning the Shriram Open Singles title in 1996 was a

very special one for me as I was probably playing my

best in that phase. It was a very important tittle to win.

it was like the third Nationals after the ones on Grass

and Hard court. The event had all the importance, as all

the top players played. My career was at the peak and

I was certainly in the reckoning for a place on the Davis

Cup Team.

I was happy that I was able to play and prove myself

on the big stage. Shriram Open back then was watched

by National selectors like the late Shyam Minotra.

I have a lot of great memories the people were

very warm and enthusiastic as usual.Tournament

committee was very encouraging and the following

during and about the tournament was superb.

I have been into coaching for 19 years now. Was also

playing a bit of doubles after I started working with

Purav Raja and we won the doubles title in 2006 as

well. Purav’s career took off to a different level after he

won the singles title. I have my own Academy in Pune.

Have also worked with players who have won this tittle.

Was involved with the Davis Cup Team in 2007.

Satisfied and content with my career was an

honour to represent India in Asia Cup in 1997 and 1999.

Member of the Davis Cup team against Chile (World

Group play-off in 1997). Received the Arjuna Award in

2001.Very blessed to have had a great career.

The organisers have been truly fantastic, very

motivated, encouraging and supportive towards all the

players. It is really very special association with tennis

for 25 years, and my sincere and best wishes to all at

the tournament to continue the magic.

All the top players, a lot of former and current Davis

Cup players have played in this tournament and I

hope this remains a very important tournament in

the future. If they ever have a Veterans event, it will be

special to come back and play.

Mr. VP Agarwal, ED and Company Secretary, DSCL presenting trophy to Sheethal Goutham (Runners-Up), Womens Doubles, Shriram Open 1996

The DLTA Building (1996)

RADHIKA TULPULE KANITKAR

First Memory of the tournament is checking the dates of the tournament and making sure I don’t miss it!

Just to be in Delhi for the Shriram Nationals was an honour really and then having won it several times in the juniors is icing on the cake.

Lot of players from all over the country assembled. Back then, it was a true feeling of it being one of the most important tournament in the calendar, even though we might busy playing on the international circuit. This one was THE NATIONALS CHAMPIONSHIPS OF THE COUNTRY!

It helped a lot in my career not only from the ranking point of view. The exposure and the mental preparation one would need to be ready for the Nationals is what this tournament taught me. It helped me immensely in my career. I mean you prepare differently for the Nationals, at least that is what I did !

I am grateful to the organisers for supporting this tournament for 25 years, show interest in the game, help the Indian players and have faith in them. Most of the players who have won the Shriram Nationals have gone and made the country and the sponsors proud. It is true dedication on the part of the sponsors to hang on and support us for so so many years.

doubles title with Arati Ponnappa. The national hardcourt champion Janaki Krishnamoorthy was also not able to save her reputation in a strong field.

Amod Wakalkar had sweet revenge over Harsh Mankad in the semifinals of the junior event. Harsh had beaten Amod in the National junior grass court final at Patna and subsequently on the hard courts Amod Wakalkar had sweet revenge over Harsh Mankad in the semifinals of the junior event. Harsh had beaten Amod in the National junior grass court final at Patna and subsequently on the hard courts as well in Chennai. Amod, a trainee of Nandan Bal, went on to down Rishi Sridhar in three sets to claim a title that he would cherish for ever. He won the doubles title as well with the stylish left-hander RohanSaikia.

Ajay Ramaswami and Sheethal Goutham were able to prove that lack of height was not a handicap as they won the national sub-junior titles. Vijay Kannan did his confidence some good by winning the doubles title with Ajay Ramaswami. Sheethal found stiff resistance from Radhika Tulpule and S. K. Tara but was too good otherwise in winning a doubles as she took the doubles title as well with Sonia Shelar.

The Punwire trainee, Akshay Vishal Rao, and the Pune lass Radhika Tulpule won the under-14 boys and girls titles respectively, with remarkable ease and poise.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Sandeep Kirtane bt Vikrant Chadha 6-4, 3-6, 6-1; Doubles: Gaurav Natekar and Vikrant Chadha bt Amod Wakalkar and S. Narendra Nath 6-0, 7-5.

Women: Jahnavi Parekh bt Sai Jayalakshmy 5-7, 6-2, 6-2; Doubles: Rushmi Chakravarthi and Arati Ponnappa bt Sheethal Goutham and Sonia Shelar 6-0, 5-7, 6-2.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Amod Wakalkar bt Rishi Sridhar 3-6, 6-4, 6-2;Doubles: Amod Wakalkar and Rohan Saikia bt Harsh Mankad and Amandeep Singh 6-4, 6-4.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Jahnavi Parekh bt Archana Venkataraman 3-6, 6-0, 6-0; Doubles: Archana Venkataraman and Uzma Khan bt Aparna Srinivasan and Nehal Chopra 6-1, 6-1.

The DCM Shriram Fenesta National tennis tournament was the one I used to look forward to compete, starting from my under-14 junior years, on to the women’s open category. The Delhi hard-court national has been a great event and fun for me. It was well organised despite the huge number of participants in all age groups and open events. I wish the sponsors and organisers the very best in the years to come. Kudos for having kept up the tournament, running successfully, for so many years.

SONAL PHADKE

“

Winners of the Shriram Open Junior Nationals 1996

UNDER-16 BOYS: Ajay Ramaswami bt Avinash Arun 6-3, 6-4; Doubles: Ajay Ramaswami and Vijay Kannan bt Manoj Mahadevan and Avinash Arun 6-2, 6-1.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Sheethal Goutham bt Karishma Patel 6-2, 6-1; Doubles: Sheethal Goutham and Sonia Shelar bt Radhika Tulpule and Pooja Deshmukh 7-6 (6), 6-2.

UNDER-14 BOYS: Akshay Vishal Rao bt Mithun Murali 6-3, 6-2; Doubles: Mithun Murali and Benjamin Xavier bt Akshay Vishal Rao and Pathanjali Ravishankar 6-4, 6-2.

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Radhika Tulpule bt SonalPhadke 6-0, 6-0; Doubles: Nona Wagh and Anisha Shelar bt Nikhila Palat and Harsimran Kaur 6-3, 6-4.

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Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting trophy to Uzma Khan (Winner) Girls U-18 Doubles Shriram Open Nationals 1996

Doubles game in action at the Shriram Open Nationals 1996

Amod Wakalkar and Jahnavi Parekh Winners U-18 Singles Shriram Open Nationals 1996

Mr. Ajay S Shriram giving trophy to Ajay Ramaswami and Vijay Kannan (Winners) Boys U-16 Doubles, Shriram Open Nationals 1996

Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting trophy to Radhika Tulpule (Winner) Girls U-14 Singles Shriram Open Nationals 1996

Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting trophy to Sonal Phadke (Runners-up) Girls U-14 Singles Shriram Open Nationals 1996

21

HE ORGANISERS HAD not calculated the fighting prowess of the women correctly. In the event, Uzma Khan and Arati Ponnappa fought so hard in the Shriram Open that there was hardly any time left for playing two sets of men’s final between Davis Cuppers Asif Ismail and Gaurav Natekar.

The floodlights were inadequate and the men’s title had to be shared. Asif could have sealed it but for floundering at 7-5, 3-0. Gaurav changed the trend to win the next four games when the light had deteriorated considerably. Referee DushanDeo physically jumped from the fence on to the court, but could not come up with a solution to continue the match on the morrow as the players had finalised their travel plans and were unwilling to change it.

Asif had done all the hard work in taming players like Vasudeva Reddy, Vikram Venkataraghavan, Anand Radhakrishnan and Saurav Panja. He had already taken up coaching but was able to prove that he was still good.

Among the youngsters, Harsh Mankad had a good chance to make a mark but after adding a third national junior title to his collection in the first week of the tournament, he had to give a walkover in the quarterfinals of the men’s event because of ill-health.

While the national grass court champion Nitin Kirtane lost to Saurav Panja in the quarterfinals, his cousin Sandeep Kirtane was unable to defend his title owing to ill health. Other prominent players like Susheel Narla, Prahlad Srinath and Vikrant Chadha were busy abroad.

In the women’s event, the tenacious Uzma Khan beat the cream of talent.

1997

T

Asif Ismail and Gaurav Natekar share men’s trophy, Uzma Khan corners glory

22

ASIF ISMAIL

I remember it more as DCM Shriram than Fenesta.

I have pictures of me playing the event. It was the

tournament to be played. It is the same even now.

The prize money is good. When it started, I was

about to finish my tennis career. I used to travel with

a lot of my students. Reaching the final was good

for me as a coach, as I was setting a good example

for my students. It was the best organised for sure. I

remember qualifying draw used to be 128. Maybe,

256. With the juniors, men, ladies. It was splendid

two weeks. It was the nice time of the year. I have

played it a few years.

We looked forward to the event. The grass court

Nationals used to be in Delhi. It used to be fun. It

was always run very well. Dushan Deo used to be

there, a good soul. Nar Singh is still associated with

it. Great exposure for everyone.

I remember the final. I had warmed up three or

four times for the match. The women’s final was

going long. Maybe, 7-6, 6-7, 7-5. When we got on

court, it was late. I think I was 7-5, 4-3, when we had

to stop for bad light. We had our commitments

and thus could not play it the next day. I don’t

remember floodlights being there.

It was a big event, and I was not seeded. Good to

have that run. I think Vasudeva Reddy was the top

seed and I beat him in the first round. My students

showed that I had the headlines in the newspapers.

The students were Karan Rastogi, Rohan Gajjar,

Liza Pereira, Isha Lakhani.

The event was on grass initially. Grass court

nationals had a lot of importance as the Davis Cup

used to be played on grass. Then it became hard

courts and clay courts. Change will always happen.

There was a sense of belonging. This was the

tournament to win.

I have also played Davis Cup for Hong Kong,

singles and doubles in 2003-2004. In 2006, I

travelled with Sania Mirza from French Open to

Wimbledon for six weeks. I am the Tennis Director

in Hong Kong in a private club, for the last 18 years.

Aberdeen Marina Club.

Sania Mirza: She was phenomenally talented.

Gifted player. That forehand was a huge weapon.

Her timing on the ball was exceptional, since

the junior days. The sound of the ball hitting the

racquet was different, coming from her racquet. It

showed her potential. There was never any doubt

that she would play big. She has done everyone

proud.

She was always a very confident person. Very

sure of herself. She always had a positive attitude.

That rubbed on her game. She is a very good ball

striker. It was a great learning experience for me,

travelling with her. I could help her with the serve, as

serve was a weapon for me. Our association could

have been longer, and I remember talking to her

dad Imran Mirza. We worked on her volleys. I will

always remember those times.

I have two sons. Amaan 18, he is going to join

New York University. He is more into cricket.

Rehaan is a Special child, 16. Lot more challenges

in life. It changed our life. It was good in a way that

it made us very strong. Seeing the other side of life.

No regrets. My wife Reshma is with Cathay Pacific

as cabin crew. She is away for work. That keeps the

marriage going! She gets her space.

My sisters’ sons play tennis. I follow them and

follow Indian tennis. They recently played in

Coimbatore at a centre run by KG Ramesh.

23

She beat the top seed Rushmi Chakravarthi, the talented stroke-player Jahnavi Parekh, the athletic Sai Jayalkshmy and eventually Arati Ponnappa in the final in a pulsating thriller in a third set tie-break.

Well, Uzma had given a glimpse of her potential earlier in March in the Federation Cup, in which she was the only Indian to win matches. She had singles wins against New Zealand and Thailand and with a little more support from team mates Arati Ponnappa and Jahnavi Parekh, Uzma could have helped India stay in the Asia-Oceania group ‘I’.

In the junior section, Harsh Mankad showed that he was head and shoulders above the rest. He recovered from being a set down in the final to beat Rishi Sridhar in a pulsating final. Harsh impressed with his smart head a lot more than

what he did with his game. It was his third national singles title and on a

third different surface. Harsh had won the titles on grass and clay earlier. He was now winning it on the synthetic surface on which he has been able to hit the ball on the rise. Ravi Kiran Bhat and Sunil Kumar won the national under-16 and under-14 titles to emphasise their talent in competitive fields.

Uzma Khan was too good in winning the under-18 title and Radhika Tulpule made her mark by winning the under-16 honour. Liza Pereira was able to assert herself in the under-14 event, though she had to endure the disappointment of losing the doubles final along with Rani Smita Jain in three sets to Rati Kumar and Lata Ashudani.

It is one of the few tournaments supported by a company for so many years. Difficult not to show up for the tournament. Earlier, it was on grass. There are no grass courts any more. One can always look back at one’s career and say that one could have achieved so much more. But the circumstances decide a lot of things. I think I retired too early. Had I known that Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi would do so well, I could have continued. I had a fair amount of success with both. Happy to have played the Davis Cup. Won the Asian Games doubles and team gold medals. It was too early to retire at 28.

Maybe, I decided to move on. If I could not compete regularly in the international circuit, there was no point to keep playing the national circuit. In hindsight, it was good because I could start doing things which I wanted to, at a young age. To focus on things other than tennis.

With Mahesh, we won a lot of Satellites etc. I was already in the Davis Cup team, when he got in.I had won grass and hard court singles and doubles titles in 1992 in Jaipur and Bombay. Beat Asif Ismail for grass

nationals and Nitin Kirtane for hard court title. We could not finish the finals owing to circumstances in the DCM Shriram Open in 1997.

I am proud with my success in the country. I have won the national titles in under-10, under-12, under-14, under-16, under-18 and the men’s events.

For one company to do it for 25 plus years, that is a lot of commitment to Indian tennis.

GAURAV NATEKAR

“

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THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Asif Ismail vs Gaurav Natekar 7-5, 3-4 (abandoned, joint winners); Doubles: Gaurav Natekar and Vikram Venkataraghavan bt Asif Ismail and Vasudeva Reddy 6-3, 6-4.

Women: Uzma Khan bt Arati Ponnappa 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4); Doubles: Rushmi Chakravarthi and Arati Ponnappa bt Sai Jayalakshmy and Jahnavi Parekh 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Harsh Mankad bt Rishi Sridhar 6-7 (8), 6-1, 6-2; Doubles: Rohan Saikia and Ajay Ramaswami bt Abhishek Laxminarayan and Ravi Kiran Bhat 6-4, 6-2.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Uzma Khan bt Aparna Srinivasan 6-2, 6-4; Doubles: Sheethal Goutham and Trishna Williams bt Aparna Srinivasan and Nehal Chopra 6-2, 2-0

(conceded).

UNDER-16 BOYS: Ravi Kiran Bhat bt Kamala Kannan 6-2, 6-2; Doubles: Ravi Kiran Bhat and Nirmit Shetty bt Kedar Shah and Dipesh Rao 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Radhika Tulpule bt Sheethal Goutham 6-2, 2-6, 6-3; Doubles: Shruti Dhawan and Sheethal Goutham bt Radhika Tulpule and Radhika Mandke 6-4, 7-6 (1).

UNDER-14 BOYS: Sunil Kumar bt Pratim Parekh 6-3, 4-6, 6-1; Doubles: Chandrashekar Mohanty and Parantap Chaturvedi bt Harshit Sharma and Dhruv Kumar 2-6, 6-0, 6-3.

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Liza Pereira bt Jitisha Selarka 6-2, 6-2; Doubles: Rati Kumar and Lata Ashudhani bt Rani Smita Jain and Liza Pereira 6-7 (1), 6-4, 7-5.

Asif Ismail in action during the Mens Singles finals

Sour

ce: H

indu

stan

Tim

es

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IT WAS EXPERIENCE THAT prevailed over youth as the 24-year-old Nitin Kirtane subdued the 18-year-old Vijay Kannan in the men’s final of the DSCL National tennis championship.

In the absence of other experienced players like Prahlad Srinath, Syed Fazaluddin and Sandeep Kirtane, it was a good chance for the youngsters like Vijay, Harsh Mankad, Vinod Sridhar and Ravi Kirtan Bhat to draw the focus on themselves, but it was the Western Railway employee, Nitin who prevailed with his craft and the strong will. Nitin won his second national singles title, following the grass court national title that he had won in 1996 in Calcutta. There was a similarity in the manner that he accomplished the two as Nitin did not drop a set on the way to the crown both the times.

The left-hander had made the initial waves as a junior when he reached the Wimbledon boys doubles final along with Mahesh Bhupathi in 1992, a

1998

I

Nitin Kirtane wins again, Uzma Khan retains trophy

Shriram Open was an event in the year to look forward to. It was a festival which happens at that time of every year where we all trained our best to be at our best for this event. We get to meet everyone since even a district level player would come to play this event. It had that charm and provision, you see. So, it was a grand tennis festival. Since it was a yearly festival, the ones who did well in this tournament were known to every player, coach and parent. So, luckily I did fairly well in 18’s and women’s, though reaching semis four times and not winning it hurts. The team selection to represent India was based on this tournament. I have no regrets in my career for the very fact that I gave my best, worked really hard without any distractions. Whatever the outcome was, it wasn’t in my hands.

I really appreciate the organisers, sponsors for continuously supporting the sport. Such events encourage the players in an individual sport, by giving opportunities to perform on such platforms. We may not have to make the system perfect but whatever little we continue to do will also impact some lives. This is my learning.

SHRUTI DHAWAN

“

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year in which he also made the Asian junior championship singles final in Jaipur. By winning the national title on the hardcourts, Nitin asserted that he was getting ready to take the next step, and possibly represent the country in Davis Cup.

Among others, Asif Ismal and Vishaal Uppal made the semifinals. The talented Uppal was unlucky to twist his ankle midway through the match and limped away without even bothering to ask for medical assistance. Asif was already

into coaching and did not push himself much against Nitin in the semifinals.

The 19-year-old Harsh Mankad was going through a lean phase after having broken away from the DHAITA Academy in the Capital. He lost to Asif after calling the shots in the first half of the match.

In the women’s event, it was the staunch self-belief of Uzma Khan that prevailed as the Hyderabad lass turned the match around after

Mr. Ajay S Shriram addressing the audience at the 7th DSCL Open Nationals in 1998 along with Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi

27

Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi presenting the trophy to Mr. Nitin Kirtane, (Winner) DSCL Open Nationals 1998

Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi presenting trophy to Sai Jayalakshmy (Runners- Up), Womens Singles , DSCL Open Nationals 1998

Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi presenting trophy to Akshay Vishal Rao (Runners-up),Boys U-18 , DSCL Open Nationals 1998

Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi presenting trophy to Vijayendra Laad (Winners), Boys U-18 Singles, DSCL Open Nationals 1998

Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi, presenting trophy to Vijay Kannan, (Runners-up), DSCL Open Nationals 1998

Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi presenting trophy to Arati Ponnappa (Winner), Womens Doubles, DSCL Open Nationals 1998

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being down 1-3 in the second set against SaiJ ayalakshmy in the final. Uzma had lost the first set, but proved too strong mentally at the crunch. Sai had beaten the 16-year-old Shruti Dhawan in the semifinals for the loss of one game and Sheethal Goutham in the quarterfinals for the loss of three games, and thus was perhaps not adequately prepared a tackle an opponent’s of Uzma’scalibre.

It was her second national singles title and Uzma was planning to go to the US on a tennis scholarship and possibly sharpen her game so as to bring it on par with her strong will and a tough mental attitude. In the boys final, Vijayendra Laad beat the 16-year-old local lad Akshay Vishal Rao in three sets, while Uzma Khan was too good to be troubled much by the talented Shruti Dhawan. Uzma was so good that she dropped four games in all in the last three rounds of the girls event.

In the other events, rain played havoc. So, Anant Sitaram of Andhra Pradesh shared the boys under-16 title with Sunil Kumar of Chandigarh. Sonal Phadke of Maharashtra shared

VIJAY KANNAN

Winning the Fenesta open in 2001 was

the first National men’s title in my career.

I had lost the final in 1998. It was a great

experience , In fact, I beat my good friend

Rohan Bopanna, who was in good form,

ready to lift the trophy. More than anything ,

it was a great relief winning the national title

as i had come close and lost in the finals of

nationals twice before. once on grass courts

and the other on hard courts. The Fenesta

open title was very important to me as it

gave me a lot of confidence. It came at the

right time as I was low on confidence and

had dropped in rankings. The Fenesta Open

title also helped me gain a spot in the Indian

Davis cup squad, when India beat Lebanon

in Lebanon in 2001. In Fenesta Open, i still

remember qualifying used to be played

over 4 days and main draw of different age

groups used to happen over 2 weeks unlike

other tournaments. It was like a festival for

the players and parents then.

I work as a Chief Manager with ONGC

in Chennai. I am very happy with the way

my tennis carrier went. It taught me a lot

of things in life. I am always thankful to my

parents for introducing me to the sport.

Currently, my son has taken up the same

sport and hopefully very soon i will be

visiting the Fenesta Open as a parent and

watch my son Akash, eight years now, play

matches there.

Fenesta Open was always a very well

organised tournament . The organisers

always took care of the players’ needs. It

is always nice to see my name in the past

champions display board , which they put

up during the tournament every year. I am

always glad to have been associated with a

tournament like Fenesta Open.

Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi sharing a lighter moment with Mr. Ajay S Shriram,Ms Chandini Lamba, Mr. Vikram S Shriram and Mr. Ajit S Shriram at DSCL Open Nationals 1998

the girls under-16 title with Liza Pereira. Samrita Sekar and Sasha Abraham shared the honour in the girls under-14 event. It was Preeti Rao from Chennai who stopped Sania Mirza of Hyderabad 6-2, 7-5 in the quarterfinals. Sasha beat another talented girl, Isha Lakhani in three sets in another quarterfinal. Sania Mirza had the first taste of success at the national level as she in partnership with Sasha shared the doubles title with Priyanka Parekh and Ragini Vimal.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Nitin Kirtane bt Vijay Kannan 6-4, 6-3, 6-4; Doubles: Mustafa Ghouse and Rishi Sridhar bt Asif Ismail and Vijay Kannan 6-2, 1-6, 6-4.

Women: Uzma Khan bt Sai Jayalakshmy 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Doubles: Arati Ponnappa and Rushmi Chakravarthi bt Sai Jayalakshmy and Janaki Krishnamoorthy 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Vijayendra Laad bt Akshay Vishal Rao 6-3, 2-6, 6-3;Doubles: Ravikiran Bhat and Avinash Arun bt P. Ravikrishna and Anant Sitaram 6-2, 6-0.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Uzma Khan bt Shruti Dhawan 6-1, 6-0; Doubles: Puja Deshmukh and Karishma Patel bt Kameswari Vadali and Sandhya Kanuri 6-4, 6-2.

UNDER-16 BOYS: Anant Sitaram and Sunil Kumar joint winners; Doubles: Parantap Chaturvedi/ Chandrashekar Mohanty and Benjamin Xavier and Sunil Kumar joint winners.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Sonal Phadke and Liza Pereira joint winners.

UNDER-14 BOYS: Dhruv Kumar and Nishank Mishra joint winners; Doubles: NIkhil Vijay Murali/S. Abhinav and Amanjot Singh/Nishank Mishra joint winners.

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Samrita Shekar and Sasha Abraham joint winners; Doubles: Sania Mirza/Sasha Abraham and Priyanka Parekh and Ragini Vimal joint winners.

Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi presenting trophy to Rushmi Chakravarthi and Arati Ponnappa (Winners), Womens Doubles, DSCL Open Nationals 1998

Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi presenting trophy to Shruti Dhawan (Runners- Up), Girls Singles U-18, DSCL Open Nationals 1998

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HE 16-YEAR-OLD SUNIL KUMAR of Chandigarh, a trainee of coach Kawaljeet Singh in the Punwire scheme, joined the likes of Ramanathan Krishnan, Ramesh Krishnan, Zeeshan Ali and Leander Paes in winning the national men’s title at such an young age. It was a spectacular performance by the boy who had been picked from CLTA’s rural scheme a few years earlier.

A talented southpaw, Sunil impressed with his fluent strokeplay and strong physical fitness that helped him endure 17 matches in just about a week’s time as he moved between the synthetic courts and the clay surface for various

events. The lad came through six rounds of the qualifying event in the men’s section that included a tie-break win over the seasoned Peter Vijaykumar in the ‘best of 17 games’ format.

He beat the former national junior champion Vijayendra Laad, the smooth-stroking S. K. Shivshankar. Sunil played a strong game against the former Davis Cupper Asif Ismail, and the 29-year-old Mumbai lad packed up his bag early in the second set, unable to face the music any further. Asif had managed to win a mere three games till then.

Sunil warded off a stiff challenge from Saurav Panja in the semifinals, and proved too good for Mustafa Ghouse in the final, though he was not able to jump

1999Sunil Kumar steals the thunder, Sai Jayalakshmy wins maiden national title

T

Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi presenting the trophy to Sunil Kumar, (Winner), Mens Singles, DSCL Open Nationals 1999

31

for his serves. The amicable lad with a ready smile had lost in the third round of the junior event to Mithun Murali. However, Sunil’s friend and fellow trainee at the Punwire scheme, Akshay Vishal Rao, captured the junior title. He had lost after having matchpoints against Vijayendra Laad in the final the previous year, and this was a rich compensation for the 17-year-old Delhi boy. Akshay handled the tenacious 15-year-old

Parantap Chaturvedi with poise in the final, after the latter had beaten a string of good players including Mithun.

In the women’s section, Sai Jayalakshmy, an officer with Indian Oil in Chennai, who had given herself a two-month stint in Europe, beat the challenge against fellow employee, friend and doubles partner, Rushmi Chakravarthi. Sai was nervous in the final, and the memories of

Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi presenting the trophy to Rushmi Chakravarthi (Runners-up) Womens Singles-DSCL Open Nationals 1999

Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi presenting the trophy to S. Jayalakshmy (Winner) Womens Singles, DSCL Open Nationals 1999

Winners of DSCL Open Junior Nationals 1999 along with dignitaries

Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi presenting the trophy to Mustafa Ghouse, (Runners-up), Mens Singles,DSCL Open Nationals 1999

32

Winning the Fenesta - DCM men’s singles national championships for the first time is one of my happiest memories. It was a different feeling when I won it again in 2005. When I reminisce, I realise how important the title was for me, especially because I got recognition in the field of tennis at an early age of 16. It gave my tennis career a big boost in both juniors and men’s Open categories. I do remember the tournament has always had a very active and an energetic vibe. All the players used to look forward to competing in Delhi, in the Fenesta hard court Nationals, as the sponsors, organisers, referee, umpires, ball kids and everyone associated with the tournament were so helpful and nice to all. I have been working as a teaching pro at the Newport Beach Tennis Club in California for the past seven years..I am happy about how my career shaped out. I wish the organisers, who have kept the tournament running for 25 plus years, the very best and success. I thank them for being so committed to the game of tennis SUNIL KUMAR SIPAEYA

“

losing the final the previous year after leading in the second set on winning the first against Uzma Khan kept haunting her. The girls title went to Radhika Tulpule, a talented lass from Pune with sound temperament. She had made the women’s quarterfinals in singles apart from making the doubles final.

Meanwhile, it was a dream spell for Chandigarh as Amanjot Singh continued with the fine flow to clinch the boys under-16 title. Coach Kawaljeet

Singh was overwhelmed to find three of his wards taking the national title.

Megha Vakharia, a talented striker of the ball from Mumbai won the girls under-16 crown, as she beat Liza Pereira in three sets in the final. On the way, Megha had beaten Sania Mirza 6-4, 6-7 (3), 7-5 in the quarterfinals, after having trailed 1-5 in the decider. In the girls under-14 event, Sasha Abraham beat the favourite Sania Mirza 6-1, 6-3. The Hyderabad girl Sania had won the under-14

Mr. Pradeep Singh, ED (FICC) presenting trophy to Sania Mirza, (Runners-up) Girls Singles U-14,DSCL Open Nationals 1999

33

and under-16 titles in the Adidas tournament in the Capital earlier, but was not able to recapture the same form. Those were early days, and Sania had a stinging forehand and an unflinching attitude that would stand the test of time.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Sunil Kumar bt Mustafa Ghouse 7-5, 6-0, 5-7, 6-2; Doubles: Vishaal Uppal and Mustafa Ghouse bt Saurav Panja and NitinKirtane 7-5, 7-6 (4).

Women: Sai Jayalakshmy bt Rushmi Chakravarthi 6-2, 2-6, 6-3; Doubles: Archana Venkataraman and Arthi Venkataraman bt Radhika Tulpule and Janaki Krishnamoorthy 2-6, 7-6 (7), 3-1 (conceded).

UNDER-18 BOYS: Akshay Vishal Rao bt Parantap Chaturvedi 6-2, 7-5; Doubles: Mithun Murali and N. Mukundan bt Abhijit Mazumdar and Kedar Shah 6-2, 7-5.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Radhika Tulpule bt Karishma Patel 7-5,6-4; Doubles: Harsimran Kaur and Khushchehr Italia bt Samrita Shekar and T. Yamini 6-4, 2-6, 6-1.

UNDER-16 BOYS: Amanjot Singh btPratim Parekh 6-3, 7-6 (5); Doubles: Amanjot Singh and Saurabh Kohli bt Rohan Gajjar and Harshit Sharma 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Megha Vakharia bt Liza Pereira 6-3, 4-6, 6-4; Doubles: Preeti Rao and Samrita Sekhar bt Liza Pereira and Megha Vakharia 6-3, 1-6, 7- (4).

UNDER-14 BOYS: Vikrant Sane bt R. Arun Prakash 7-6 (2), 6-4; Doubles: R. Arun Prakash and V. Vignesh bt Wrik Ganguly and Tushar Liberhan 6-3, 6-3.

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Sasha Abraham bt Sania Mriza 6-1, 6-3; Doubles: Ankita Bhambri and Sanaa Bhambri bt Lata Ashudani and Priyanka Parekh 6-3, 7-6 (6).

Mr. Pradeep Singh, ED (FICC) presenting trophy to Sanaa Bhambri and Ankita Bhambri, (Winners) Girls Doubles U-14,DSCL Open Nationals 1999

Mr. Pradeep Singh, ED (FICC) presenting trophy to Amanjot Singh, (Winner) Singles Boys U-16,DSCL Open Nationals 1999

34

T WAS DOUBLE DELIGHT for the seasoned professionals Nitin Kirtane and Rushmi Chakravarthi as both won a double crown each in asserting their domination.

The 26-year-old Nitin was able to subdue the defending champion, the 17-year-old Chandigarh lad Sunil Kumar in four sets in the final. Except for winning the third set from being down 2-5, Sunil was unable to show any trick in a battle of two left-handers with contrasting styles.

Quite understandable, Sunil has been focusing on the international junior circuit to build a strong foundation for his career. He was thus not ready to handle the wiles and guiles of the professionals like Nitin.

Nitin was fresh from competing in the club league in Germany and was keen to prove himself all over again. ‘’I had to wipe out the bad memories of last year, when I conceded to Mustafa Ghouse in the quarterfinals’’, said Nitin, who had been part of the Indian Davis Cup team for the ties against the Czech Republic and Chile.

In the women’s event, the 23-year-old Rushmi, who celebrated her birthday on the opening day of the tournament, made it a ‘no contest’ as she beat her doubles partner and defending champion Sai Jayalakshmy for the loss of three games in the new format, 4-1, 4-1, 4-1. While Rushmi was serving and stroking with ease, Sai struggled with her touch.

Rushmi handled the talented bunch of girls with competence, as she beat Radhika Tulpule, Megha Vakharia and Sania Mirza with her attacking brand of

2000Nitin Kirtane and Rushmi Chakravarthi crowned as the champions

I

35

tennis. ‘’I have been serving and playing well the whole week. It is one of the best tournaments for me’’, Rushmi said.

The fact that Anna Nefedova of Russia, who had dominated the $5000 ITF circuit in India, was beaten in the qualifying event by Samrita Sekar projected a healthy future for Indian women’s tennis.

National junior champions Akshay Vishal Rao and Vijayendra Laad were unable to cross the quarterfinals in the men’s events. However, hope sprang yet again as Rohan Gajjar won the junior title, beating a clutch of quality players, Vikrant

Sane, top seed Shivang Mishra, fourth seed Kamala Kannan and the second seed Parantap Chaturvedi.

In the girls section, Radhika won three three-setters in a row in her last three matches against T. Yamini, Samrita Sekar and Sonal Phadke, in that order, to richly deserve the crown.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Nitin Kirtane bt Sunil Kumar 6-1, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2; Doubles: Saurav Panja and Nitin Kirtane bt Rohan Bopanna and Vishaal Uppal 7-6 (8), 6-1.

Mr. Ajay S. Shriram, presenting trophy to Rushmi Chakravarthi (Winner) Womens Singles DSCL Open Nationals 2000

Mr. Ajay S. Shriram, presenting trophy to Sai Jayalkshmi (Runners-up) Womens Singles DSCL Open Nationals 2000

Mr Ramesh Krishnan cutting the cake at the 9th DSCL Open Nationals 2000

Mr. Ajay S. Shriram, presenting trophy to Nittin Kirttane (Winner) Mens Singles DSCL Open Nationals 2000

36

Winning the title was a dream come true! The Shriram Open Nationals was a big tournament, the biggest in our domestic calendar, not just in terms of stature of the event but also in terms of how many players took part and wanted to win it. And to be the last one standing at the end was super special. I will always cherish this win. It was at a very important point in my career that I won the title, because it gave me so much of confidence. I was just starting to take baby steps into the international tour and to win the nationals was a big boost. Truly enough, 2000, the year that followed was probably one of my best years on the tour. I have great memories of the event. It was a busy week with everyone jostling to get practice courts and balls etc. Pretty much every tennis player took part and the qualifying draw was always huge so there was always competition to just get on court for a hit even. Over time, one got so familiar with the organisers as well as all the other players that it was always like one big family coming together for that week. It was great fun and winning was of course the icing on the cake. I now run a home baking business called Flour Power. It’s been seven years and what started off as a hobby, something I just liked doing, has grown into a small home based business that keeps me busy for most of the year. I can’t say I have any regrets over my tennis career. Of course, I would have loved to have played the Grand Slams or the Olympics but these things didn’t happen. Still, tennis has made me who I am today and given me an identity. It has also taught me way more than any school or college ever did. So, yes, I’m happy. The sponsors have done a great job by sticking with this event over the years, even in the ‘lean’ years when the Nationals seemed to have lost some of its sheen for tennis players. By also offering some of the best prize money, they have also helped the players a lot. We live in times when people seem to lose interest so quickly in things. So for the organisers to continue to back this event for 25 years is huge. I will never forget my first Senior National title won at the Shriram Open in 1999 and am so proud to be known as a National Champion. SAI JAYALAKSHMY

“

ISHA LAKHANI

I remember winning all the titles over the years, in singles

and doubles, from under-14 to women. So, the DCM

Shriram/ Fenesta National tennis has always been very

memorable for me. I gave my best every time. There is

so much to learn by playing a sport. I am grateful to my

parents for putting me into sports. It gave you the ability to

accept situations, and to get up every time you fall. I was

always intense, because I enjoyed playing the sport, only

when I was playing my best. So, I did get angry when I was

not playing good. But, when I look back, I see that there

was so much anger. I gave it all I had. When you are 17 to

20, you need to play 20 to 30 weeks in a year. When I was

17, I reached up to 290. I was just about 40 to 45 places

away from playing the Grand Slam qualifying events.

Then, a knee injury kept me away from the game for nine

months, and I lost my ranking. At 19, I came back to top-

300 again, but a back injury and a wrist injury meant that I

lost my ranking.

Around 24/25, I once again reached the top-300, and

then there was this bout of jaundice. I remember eating

four pain killers and losing to Sanaa Bhambri. I was set to

go for a $75,000 tournament in Japan. The doctor told me

that I would not come back alive if I did that. I quit. I have

no regrets, but I do feel that I could have tried one more

time. There are many doctors and engineers all over the

country. But there are very few who have represented

the country in sports. It is a great honour and privilege to

play for your country. I am so happy that DCM Shriram/

Fenesta tennis has been getting better every year. The

organisers and the AITA have done a beautiful job over

the years, in making it a nice experience for everyone. I

will be more happy if kids are given travel grants. I will also

be happy if they consider supporting two to five players,

and make a difference to their sporting career. There are so

many talented players who quit because they can’t afford

to spend money to stay in the game. We request only

those who do so much for tennis for they genuinely care

for the game and the players.

May the event keep providing beautiful experience and

memories for everyone for many more years.

Women: Rushmi Chakravarthi bt Sai Jayalakshmy 4-1, 4-1, 4-1; Doubles: Sai Jayalakshmy and Rushmi Chakravarthi bt Archana Venkataraman and Arthi Venkataraman 5-3, 4-1, 4-1.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Rohan Gajjar bt Parantap Chaturvedi 6-4, 2-6, 7-5; Doubles: Abhishek Tamhane and Vivek Jhaveri bt Dheeraj Shetty and Tejeshwar Chigateri 6-2, 6-2.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Radhika Tulpule bt Sonal Phadke 6-4, 5-7, 6-4; Doubles: Samrita Sekar and Preeti Raobt Liza Pereira and Megha Vakharia 6-3, 6-2.

Mr. Ajay S. Shriram, presenting trophy to Rohan Bopanna (Runners-up) Mens Doubles DSCL Open Nationals 2000

KARAN RASTOGI

Personally I have some great

memories of the Fenesta

Nationals. Earliest memory was

having to play five qualifying

rounds in the under-14 as a

12 year old and losing in the

final round. Best memories, of

course, were wining the under-14

singles, under-14 doubles and

under-16 singles in the same year.

Was a fantastic week playing

three matches every day and I

remember really enjoying it. I

played it only once in the men’s

category, and lost to Aqeel Khan in

the semi-finals. I was quite young.

One thing that always stood out,

was the sheer number of entries

and participants. Like I said we had

to play 5-6 rounds, just to qualify

for the main draw. Historically, it

was the one tournament all Indian

tennis players wanted to compete

and win. I was no different.

Kudos to the organisers,

especially in my days I remember

the late Mr. Dushan Deo organising

all the matches and starting at

6 a.m. and finishing late into the

night. Hard work from him really

made the tournament a success.

Great credit to the sponsors to

keep supporting the event for so

many years. It is the trade mark

tournament in India. I believe

without the sponsors it would

have been impossible for the

tournament to have such great

history.

Winners of DSCL Open Nationals 2000 along with Mr. Ajay S Shriram

Winning the DSCL Open/Fenesta was something I

worked hard for, every time. It is a tournament I have

looked forward to each year. No matter how many

times you win it, you want to win it once more. Its such

a well organised tournament and the organisers have

looked after the players very well and that has made

the tournament so memorable. DCM Shriram/ DSCL

has always been the most prestigious tournament

in India ever since the tournament was first held in

1993. Every player in India played this tournament

and winning it gave me so much confidence to take

my tennis further to the next level. It was after those

wins that I started playing the ITF women’s circuit full

time. From 1993 onwards, for almost a decade when

I played the tournament, almost every year I came

back with a trophy in either singles or doubles. When

I look back, it was tournaments like this that gave us a

platform to move onto international competition. Back

in the 1990’s and early 2000 all the events used to be

conducted in one week and it was like a tennis mela.

The organisers always did such a phenomenal job of

conducting the event so smoothly.

For me especially, most years I celebrated my

birthday during the event . The organisers would

always thoughtfully get me a cake and make my day

special. DSCL/ Fenesta open has become such an

integral part of Indian tennis.

I have been with Indian oil for over two decades

now. Indian Oil has supported me all through my

career and especially at a time when there was hardly

much support for sports in the country. I am extremely

grateful for that. Indian Oil’s role in Indian sports

has grown so much now and many sports persons

have benefited from this. As a senior player, I help in

identifying new tennis talent for the corporation and I

am also the Sports coordinator for all sports persons in

the southern region.

I have also been associated with the Indian junior

teams for the Junior Fed Cup and World Junior Tennis

as captain and coach. Helping junior players with my

experience is something I like doing. Tennis has been

my life and I would love to give back to the sport in

every way possible.

Tennis has given me so much. I had a long career

in the sport and I look back with no regrets. It is such

a wonderful sport I am glad that I had I a good tennis

career.

The contribution of the organisers to Indian tennis is

phenomenal. To conduct this National Championship

for over 25 years, so professionally and making this

tournament bigger and better every year is really

commendable. The tournament committee is so

warm and friendly and the friendship has continued

over decades. As an Indian tennis player I really

acknowledge their contribution and support for Indian

tennis. This tournament has been a stepping stone for

so many Indian players. I do hope their support and

contribution will continue for Indian tennis.

RUSHMI CHAKRAVARTHI

“

39

Mr. SS Kohli, Chairman, Punjab National Bank presenting prize to Ankita Bhambri at DSCL Open Junior Nationals 2000

Mr. SS Kohli, Chairman, Punjab National Bank presenting prize to Karan Rastogi at DSCL Open Junior Nationals 2000

Winners of DSCL Open Junior Nationals 2000 along with dignitaries

Mr. SS Kohli, Chairman, Punjab National Bank presenting prize to Isha Lakhani at DSCL Open Junior Nationals 2000

40

ROHAN BOPANNA

I have fond memories of the DCM Shriram Open. It is the

only tournament that has survived and sustained for this

long. It has been really good that Indian tennis has had

such a strong and long support from a sponsor.

The titles DCM Shriram and Fenesta are engraved in

the minds of everyone. So, it is not just national tennis

any more. Even at my academy in Bengaluru, the kids

talk about competing in Fenesta nationals. It is such a

wonderful thing that it has been held continuously for

this long. I remember Limca Masters in my younger days,

where all the best junior players would assemble from

across the country. I wish a few more sponsors come

forward and support tennis for a long time.

Coming to Delhi for the tournament was an experience

in itself. It was one of the best tournaments.

One always wanted to win the tournament. Reaching

the finals, you knew how the court played, and were

accustomed to everything else. You want to win the title,

especially having reached the final. One is disappointed to

have lost the final.

Winning the grass court National had an incentive,

as the winner was getting a wild card for the Chennai

Open ATP event. I remember training hard, after I lost the

National final. I not only ended up qualifying for the main

draw in Chennai Open, I also won a round.

The National championship showed that the quality

of one’s game is not enough. You always tried to reach the

next level. After competing in the nationals, I always played

the international events better. I generally, played the

bigger events better. I have loved the challenge from the big

stage. It has helped me bring out my best tennis. Bigger the

stage, better my tennis.

I did lose the Fenesta final to Vijay Kannan and the grass

court national final to VishaalUppal.

People used to wonder why the hard court wild card

was being given to the grass court champion. Anyway, it

was a great opportunity for the players then.

The tournament helped me gain a lot of friendship, as

we tended to stay in the event for about 10 days, especially

when one started in the qualifying event. People came

from different parts of the country, and everyone had a

team around. I had a lot of friends, and it was fun watching

them play.

In Delhi, a lot of people came to support us. National

championship was like a festival.

The DLTA transformed during the event. Brand outlets

came up. We enjoyed the atmosphere and mixing with

people. We were not merely worried about the results,

like the way players do these days. Me and Vijay Kannan

played a lot together. We were together in the Oil team also.

There was no mobile phone to distract us in those days.

Dinner at 7’O clock. We travelled in trains together.

To my young players at the academy, I keep saying that

a player is your opponent only when you play. Otherwise,

you all mix together, train together and grow together,

pushing each other. That is how you can grow.

Tennis is definitely a lonely sport. The higher you play,

the lonelier it gets. So make friends. Encourage each other.

Do fitness with each other.

As a junior I might have played a few qualifying events.

Did play doubles. It is amazing that the organisers have

kept it going for this long, and kept trying to make it better.

My suggestion is that it will be great to have live

streaming of the matches, at least in some courts. Put a

camera on each court. With the juniors playing, am sure a

lot of tennis enthusiasts around the world will be keen to

see the talent.

Today technology has made such ideas affordable. It

really does not cost anything. It will be a great incentive for

the under-14, 16 and 18 players to be watched by people

around the world, not just by their families and friends.

The Challenger Tour does that. They have one camera

on the court, beaming the action. It is better than watching

live scoring. You don’t need commentary. With the quality

of cameras these days, it will be very good. It will be a value

addition to a great event.

41

T WAS SMART TENNIS that prevailed over stinging power as Vijay Kannan beat Rohan Bopanna in the men’s final. By just blocking the big returns of Bopanna, apart from the using the soft touch and sound angles, Vijay prevailed over his doubles partner the 6’ 4’’ tall Bopanna. The conditions were in favour of the defensive player. Incidentally, it was the third final in the national championship for the unseeded Vijay. It was a memorable double crown for the B. Com graduate from the Loyola College in Chennai, as Vijay won the doubles title with Ajay Ramaswami, beating the Kirtane cousins, Nitin and Sandeep.

While it was a case of being third time lucky for Vijay, the strong Coorg, Bopanna was losing his third final within a short span, as he had lost two finals in the ITF Futures events to Prahlad Srinath. Did he lack the big match temperament?! Only time would answer the question. Bopanna had to come through the qualifying event as he decided to play the championship after the wild cards had been decided. Obviously, he had not entered in time to be among the direct entrants.

The Atlanta Olympics bronze medallist and a champion of many Grand Slam doubles titles, the Indian Davis Cup hero Leander Paes watched the final. ‘’Rohan has been doing well of late, and is in the reckoning for Davis Cup selection. He has a big game but needs maturity. He didn’t handle the conditions well. The ability to overcome the conditions is the mark of a champion’’, Leander observed.

‘’With the right support, he can become a good player. We will take care of him’’, said Mahesh Bhupathi who had watched the final on TV. Bopanna was ruthless in dismissing the challenge from Sunil Kumar, who had just been crowned the

2001

I

Vijay Kannan keeps promise, Rushmi Chakravarthi defends her title

42

Mr. Leander Paes came for a training session for players at the DSCL Open Nationals 2001

Mrs. Sheila Dixit, Honble Chief Minister of Delhi can be seen watching the match with Mr. Ajay Shriram, Mr. Leander Paes and Mr. Anil Khanna

Celebrating the 10th DSCL Open Nationals in 2001

Asian junior champion. He was equally superb in cutting through the defensive tactics of the defending champion Nitin Kirtane. He did face some problem against the counter-attacking Kamala Kannan. In the women’s event, Rushmi Chakravarthi defended her title, but not before Sonal Phadke teased her in the semifinals. Rushmi eventually beat the Mumbai girl, 6-1, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5). The Indian Oil officer from Chennai, Rushmi was fluent in her win over Sheethal Goutham in the final.

Rushmi recovered from being a set down to beat Sania Mirza, the star in the horizon, 2- 6, 6-4,

6-2 in the quarterfinals. However, the 15-year-old Sania had the satisfaction of winning the doubles title with Ankita Bhambri as the duo beat the seasoned combination of Rushmi and Sai Jayalakshmy in a thrilling final at 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (5).

Arun Prakash Rajagopalan and Isha Lakhani won the boys and girls titles respectively. Both faced tough competition from Somdev Dev Varman and Samrita Sekar respectively, and prevailed in three sets each in the finals. Isha won the junior girls doubles title as well with Megha Vakharia.

Tushar Liberhan in the under-16 event and J.

43

Vishnu Vardhan in the under-14 competition served notice as the players to watch out for in the future. Sanaa Bhambri and Kartiki Bhat were the ones to draw attention in the girls under-16 and under-14 events respectively.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Vijay Kannan bt RohanBopanna 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1; Doubles: Vijay Kannan and Ajay Ramaswami bt NitinKirtane and Sandeep Kirtane 6-2, 6-4.

Women:Rushmi Chakravarthi bt Sheethal Goutham 6-4, 6-3; Doubles: Ankita Bhambri and Sania Mirza bt Rushmi Chakravarthi and Sai Jayalakshmy 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (5).

Mixed doubles: Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna bt Shruti Dhawan and Mustafa Ghouse 6-4, 6-4.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Arun Prakash Rajagopalan bt Somdev Dev Varman 3-6, 6-2, 6- 1; Doubles: Rohan Gajjar and Amanjot Singh bt Shivang Mishra and Arun Prakash Rajagopalan 6-3, 6-4.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Isha Lakhani bt SamritaSekar 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-1; Doubles: Isha Lakhani and Megha Vakharia bt Sasha Abraham and Preeti Rao 6-4, 7-5.

UNDER-16 BOYS: Tushar Liberhan bt Nihal Advani 6-1, 6-4; Doubles: Tushar Liberhan and Chatwinder Singh bt Anshuman Dutta and Rupesh Roy 7-6 (1), 6-1.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Sanaa Bhambri bt ParulGoswami 6-1, 6-4; Doubles: Ankita Bhambri and Sanaa Bhambri bt K. Pooja and Shradha Lodha 6-2, 6-3.

UNDER-14 BOYS: J. Vishnu Vardhan bt SumitPrakash Gupta 6-0, 2-6, 6-2; Doubles: Franklyn Emmanual and N. S. Nishendran bt Hrishikesh Pataskar and Sumit Prakash Gupta 6-4, 6-4.

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Kartiki Bhat bt Sandri Gangotri 6-3, 6-1; Doubles: Madura Ranganathan and Vandana Murali bt Sandhya Nagaraj and Sandri Gangotri 6-4, 6-4.

ANKITA BHAMBRI

I have very fond memories of the

national championship. Winning it was

always a goal for all the players who

competed at that time. It was the most

prestigious tournament for all of us and we

eagerly waited for it every year. Even if you

were the No.1 player in the country in your

age group, winning the nationals seemed to

somehow validate that ranking.

Personally, it was my dream to win the

nationals especially in my junior days

when I was 10- 11 and playing the under 14

and 16 girls category.

I am not sure if many girls from Delhi

have won it before but it was an important

milestone when I won the double crown of

14 and 16 singles and under-16 doubles with

my sister Sanaa.

We were thrilled and my family was

very happy. I think that was when we took

the decision to continue tennis and take it

up professionally. Tennis became the No.1

priority for the family.

The tournament itself was conducted

and organised like a gala event where we

also saw top players competing in the

senior categories a week before.

Winning the women’s doubles title with

Sania Mirza as a 15 year old was a thrill

and then winning the women’s singles and

doubles a few years later was joyful. These

titles have always been an important part of

my tennis journey.

It is the No.1 tournament of our country

and it deserves all the attention.

During my interactions with junior

players, I always tell them how important

this tournament is and how tough it is to

win it.

Mr. Leander Paes giving the trophy to Arun Prakash Rajagopalan, Boys U-18 Singles (Winner) DSCL Open Nationals 2001

Mr. Leandar Paes presenting the trophy to Sania Mirza and Ankita Bhambri (Winner) Womens Doubles, DSCL Open Nationals 2001

Mr. Leander Paes giving the trophy to Rohan Bopanna, Mens Singles (Runners-up) DSCL Open Nationals 2001

Mr. Leander Paes giving the trophy to Somdev, Boys U-18 Singles (Runners-up) DSCL Open Nationals 2001

45

Mr. Leander Paes giving the trophy to Vijay Kannan, Mens Singles (Winner) DSCL Open Nationals 2001

Mr. Leander Paes holding a session with young players

Winners of DSCL Open Junior National 2001

Mr. Leander Paes along with Mr Rajiv Sinha (ED, DCM Shriram Ltd) at DSCL Open Nationals

Mr. Leander Paes handing over the trophy to Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza (Winners), Mixed Doubles at DSCL Open Nationals 2001

46

T WAS A SEASON OF the left-handers, as Vinod Sridhar, Isha Lakhani and R. Arun Prakash won the men’s, women’s and the junior titles. In fact, it was a triple crown for the 17-year old Mumbai girl Isha, as she won the women’s singles and doubles apart from the under18 girls singles title.

Vinod had to tackle a tough field. He did so in style. The Chennai lad beat defending champion Vijay Kannan in the quarterfinals in straight sets, though it had to be conceded that the latter was not at his best as he was returning from a wrist injury. Accounted for the national junior champion, Somdev Dev Varman in the semifinals. He was adequately prepared for the final against the big-serving Mustafa Ghouse and cruised home in four sets after the first two sets had been intensely contested.

Rohan Bopanna, the runner-up of the previous year had done very well in the season including a final appearance in the Asian Championship in Tashkent. A victory there would have fetched him a wild card for the Australian Open. He has done very well to jump into the big league despite losing to the defensive tactics of Vijay Kannan in the last edition. Having learnt his lessons, Bopanna opted to stay focused in the international league.

Coming back to the current edition, the powerful serve and volley game of Mustafa Ghouse could not match the strong determination of Vinod Sridhar. He had done well to win the doubles bronze medal in the Busan Asian Games with Vishaal Uppal, but has not generally played with conviction in singles to match

2002

I

Vinod Sridhar and Isha Lakhani assert the supremacy of left-handers

47

his potential. He, of course, had won the national grasscourt title in Kolkata.

Isha impressed though she conquered a field that did not have Rushmi Chakravarthi, Sai Jayalakshmy and Sania Mirza. The Mumbai

lass came through with flying colours despite being unseeded. She beat a string of good players like Priyanka Parekh, eighth seed Archana Venkataraman, the second seed Radhika Tulpule, the fourth seed Ankita Bhambri and the third

Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi presenting the trophy to Vinod Shridhar (Winner) Mens Singles, DSCL Open Nationals 2002

Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi presenting the trophy to Sonal Phadke (Runners-up) Womens Singles, DSCL Open-2002

Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi presenting the trophy to Radhika Tulpule (Runners-up) Womens Doubles, DSCL Open Nationals 2002

Mr. Vijai Kapoor, Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi presenting the trophy to Isha Lakhani (Winner) Womens Singles, DSCL Open Nationals 2002

48

seed Sonal Phadke in that order. A small frame notwithstanding, Isha emphasised

that she had the heart of a champion. The top seed Sheethal Goutham lost early to her doubles partner Shruti Dhawan.

In the junior event, Lata Assudani took a set off Isha in the semifinals, but the latter bounced back so well that she won 12 of the next 15 games. There was no match for Isha otherwise including the final against Sasha Abraham.

Arun Prakash Rajagopalan, a trainee of the Krishnan Tennis Centre from Chennai, beat a competitive field that had players like Amanjot Singh, Chatwinder Singh, Tushar Liberhan, Somdev Dev Varman and Nihal Advani. Supported by the Tamil Nadu Academy for Tennis Excellence (TATE), Arun played a good serve and volley game to beat the grinders from the back court.

A surprising point was the former national champion Sunil Kumar conceding his match without so much as a medical advice in the third set against Kamala Kannan in the second round. Sunil returned to play the doubles an hour later and that match went into three sets.

Coimbatore’s Madura Ranganathan made a mark winning both the girls under-16 and under-14 titles while Chandigarh boy Sanam Singh won the under-14 title but lost the under-16 final in three sets to Divij Sharan.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Vinod Sridhar bt Mustafa Ghouse 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-1, 6-1; Doubles: Nitin Kirtane and Saurav Panja bt Rohan Gajjar and Ajay Ramaswamy 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-4.

Women: Isha Lakhani bt Sonal Phadke 6-3, 7-6 (2);

Doubles: Isha Lakhani and Sonal Phadke bt Ankita Bhambri and Radhika Tulpule 1-6, 6-4, 6-4. Mixed doubles: Shruti Dhawan and Ajay Ramaswamy bt Radhika Tulpule and Sandeep Kirtane 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

UNDER-18 BOYS: R. Arun Prakash bt Amanjot Singh 6-2, 76 (5); Doubles: Divij Sharan and Tushar Liberhan bt Amanjot Singh and Saurabh Singh 7-6 (6), 6-3.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Isha Lakhani bt Sasha Abraham 6-1, 6-3; Doubles: Ragini Vimal and Priyanka Parekh bt Sharanya Pattabi and Nivedita Venkatesh 6-1, 6-4.

UNDER-16 BOYS: Divij Sharan bt Sanam Singh 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Madura Ranganathan bt Oormila Ram 6-4, 6-1.

UNDER-14 BOYS: Sanam Singh bt R. K.Praveen 7-6 (2), 6-2.

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Madura Ranganathan bt G. K. Shweta 6-3, 6-4.

Winners DSCL Open Junior Nationals 2002 along with dignitaries

49

UNNA VISHAL SPRUNG THE surprise in the men’s section, while Ankita Bhambri turned the spotlight on herself in the women’s field. In fact, the Delhi girl Ankita won a double crown as she captured the doubles title with her sister Sanaa.

While that was a happy tiding for Delhi tennis, it was a heart-break as the 17-year-old Delhi lad Divij Sharan lost three finals, the men’s singles and doubles apart from the junior singles. Yet, it was a brave effort from Divij, who had been ranked world No.5 in doubles.

The focus on Punna Vishal, the Hyderabad lad, who was keen to capitalise on this run, as he remembered losing the National Games final, exactly a year back on the same day, to Nitin Kirtane in front of an adoring home crowd that had packed the arena.

‘’I had lost the National Games final on the same day a year ago. I was determined to win this one’’, revealed Punna, who had shown his class by reaching the semifinals of the $10,000 ITF Futures event earlier in Dehra Dun.

An athletic player who approaches the net quite often, Punna was eventually given a place in the Indian Davis Cup squad as he continued to do well, including the qualifying event of the prestigious Chennai Open ATP Tour event. Unlike many others who had been restricted to the bench, Punna got to play a rubber in an away tie against New Zealand.

Punna played so well in the tournament that he dropped only one set, to Kamala Kannan in the semifinals, on way to the trophy. Divij showed his staying power and fighting qualities as he saved three matchpoints to beat the former national champion Vinod Sridhar in the semifinals. He was perhaps too drained physically and emotionally after winning so many matches, and thus was not at his best while tackling Navdeep Singh later in the day in the junior final. The

2003

PPunna Vishal and Ankita Bhambri have their say

50

doubles title too eluded him, but he vowed to return as a better player next time and give it a better shot.

Navdeep Singh was all energy on court as he won the junior title in a draw of 64. The 17-year-old Navdeep saved seven matchpoints and

converted his seventh matchpoint in a battle of wits against his doubles partner Saurabh Kohli in the semifinals.

‘’This title is important for me, to gauge my growth as a player’’, said Navdeep who has been based in Dubai and has been training with John

Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting Trophy to Kartiki Bhat and Sandra Sasidharan, (Winners), Girls U-18 Doubes, DSCL Open Nationals 2003

Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting Trophy to Sanam Singh and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan, (Winners), Boys U-18 Doubles, DSCL Open Nationals 2003

Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting Trophy to Sandhya Nagaraj, (Runners-up), Girls U-18 Doubles, DSCL Open Nationals 2003

Winners of the DSCL Open Nationals 2003- Punna Vishal and Ankita Bhambri

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Hicks in the United Kingdom. The Hyderabad lass Punam Reddy, a trainee

of Vasudeva Reddy and S. Narendranath, played with considerable intensity of focus to beat Madura Ranganathan. She had beaten the favourite Sanaa in the semifinals in the third set tie-break. Peter Agnel Gladwin, a trainee of Mayur Vasant, caught everyone’s eye as he won both the under-16 and under-14 singles titles without dropping a set.

Shivika Burman handled fluctuating fortunes as she slipped from 5-2 to 5-6 in the final with composure to emerge the champion in the under-16 section, while G. K. Shweta was too good in the under-14 event.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Punna Vishal bt Divij Sharan 6-3, 6-2, 6-1; Doubles: Rishi Sridhar and Ajay Ramaswami bt Somdev Dev Varman and Divij Sharan 7-6 (7), 6-1.

Women: Ankita Bhambri bt Sanaa Bhambri 6-3, 6-3; Doubles: Ankita Bhambri and Sanaa Bhambri bt Geeta Manohar and Archana Venkataraman 6-1, 6-2.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Navdeep Singh bt Divij Sharan 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Doubles: Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Sanam Singh bt Lalit Mann and Sandeep Kumar 7-5, 6-1.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Punam Reddy bt Madura Ranganathan 6-0, 6-7 (3), 6-2; Doubles: Kartiki Bhat and Sandra Sashidharan bt Sandri Gangotri and Sandhya Nagaraj 7-6 (4), 6-4.

UNDER-16 BOYS: Peter Agnel Gladwin bt Kinshuk

DIVIJ SHARAN

Growing up and playing tennis as a kid, Shriram

open or DSCL open or Fenesta Open was the most

prestigious and important tournament of the year.

I still remember all my training and tournament

planning was done around this national

tournament.

First memories of playing as a 12 year old. It

was probably the first time when I felt nerves of

performing on a big stage, at this tournament.

It wasn’t just all tennis. It was getting to know

players from all over the country, making new

friends, watching some really close matches from

top of the hill in the beautiful DLTA setting of the

past, or playing hours of mini court tennis while

waiting for your match to be called.

From 14-18 years of age, things got a little more

serious. Realisation of trying to succeed set in.

The first ever goal was to win the Shriram open.

So, first experience of training hard to achieve my

goal, working on my tennis as well as fitness, fighting

through pressure situation in matches all came up

because of this very important tournament.

Tasted success by winning under-14 doubles,

under-16 singles and making three finals in the same

week of under-18 singles, men’s singles and men’s

doubles. These were all mile stones that cemented

the resolve to continue working on my game and

eventually live my dream of playing tennis as a

profession. Fenesta open has been an important

part of almost every Indian tennis player’s journey.

I congratulate the tournament organisers for

completing 25 years and thank them for their

contribution to Indian tennis.

52

Sharma 6-3, 6-2.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Shivika Burman bt Daksha Mulay 4-6, 6-0, 7-6 (7-5).

UNDER-14 BOYS: Peter Agnel Gladwin bt Vijayant Malik 6-4, 6-3; Doubles: Krishna Karsolia and G. P.

Prajnesh bt Yuki Bhambri and Debendra Das 6-3, 6-1.

UNDER-14 GIRLS: G.K. Shweta bt Parija Maloo 6-1, 6-1; Doubles: Karina Ahuja and Sanjana Kapoor bt Shivika Burman and G. K. Shweta 6-2, 1-6, 6-4.

Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting Trophy to Yuki Bhambri, (Runners-up) Boys U-14 Doubles, DSCL Open Nationals 2003

Mr. Anil K. Khanna presenting Trophy to Divij Sharan, (Runners-up), Boys U-18, DSCL Open Nationals 2003

Mr. Ajay S Shriram giving prize to Veteran winners Mr GI Singh and Mr Sanjeev Kassal, 2003

Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting Trophy to Peter Agnel Gladwin, (Winner), Boys U-14 Singles, DSCL Open Nationals 2003

53

T WAS AN AQEEL KHAN show. The 24-year-old Pakistani lad won the men’s singles title in the DSCL National tennis championship and literally stole the thunder from the 16-year-old Sanaa Bhambri who won a triple crown including the women’s title. In trying to draw some attention to the tournament invitation was extended to the Pakistani Davis Cupper who grabbed the opportunity to realise his dream.

‘’This is very special. It is great to win the national championship in India as there are so many good players here’’, said Aqeel. He beat the former national champion Vinod Sridhar in four sets in the final. Aqeel had got used to the Indian conditions by competing in the ITF Satellite circuit here and had done very well to finish runner-up, an effort that helped finish in the top-350 of the ATP world ranking list.

It was added incentive for the friendly lad to compete here as he was finding the winning ways. Obviously, Aqeel was happy to pocket one lakh rupees, the prize purse for the winner. He had also been given air fare and accommodation as a courtesy for accepting the invitation. Aqeel helped bringing out the best from the Indians, as the match featuring him against the young Karan Rastogi in the semifinals was a cracker.

Foreigners had been playing the Indian national championship from the good old days and more recently, Marcus Hilpert of Germany had won the national championship in successive years on grass. Vinod Sridhar had beaten the former national champion Nitin Kirtane in three sets in the semifinals and was calling the shots in the final as he won the first set and led in the second before a thigh muscle pull put paid to his aspirations. Karan Rastogi had beaten Tushar Liberhan in the quarterfinals in a keen contest between two quality youngsters.

2004

IAqeel Khan and Sanaa Bhambri corner glory

54

Sanaa Bhambri had been coming up very well. She had reached the semifinals of the French Open doubles with Sania Mirza in 2003. She emulated another talented player Isha Lakhani in winning a triple crown. Her fighting qualities were evident as Sanaa recovered from being

down 0-2 in the decider in beating Sonal Phadke under the floodlights after intermittent showers had upset the programme.

Sanaa had also won the doubles title with Isha. She beat fellow Delhi girl Parul Goswami in the under-18 girls final to emphasise her ability.

Mr. Ajay S Shriram in conversation with Aqueel Khan at DSCL Open Nationals 2004 along with Mr Rajiv Sinha and Mr Anil Kumar from DCM Shriram Ltd.

Mr. Ajay S Shriram in conversation with Vinod Sridhar at DSCL Open Nationals 2004

Dr. K.K. Paul, IPS, Commissioner of Police-Delhi presenting trophy to Sanaa Bhambri (Winner) Womens Singles, DSCL Open Nationals 2004

Dr. K.K. Paul, IPS, Commissioner of Police-Delhi presenting trophy to Aqeel Khan (Winner) Mens Singles, DSCL Open Nationals 2004

55

Sonal Phadke lost the women’s final for the second time. She had done the hard work of beating the gutsy Isha in the semifinals and Parul in a tough three-setter in the quarterfinals.

Vivek Shokeen was a class act in winning the under-18 boys title as he beat another talented boy, Rupesh Roy in three sets.

Vinay Kamineni beat Sriram Balaji in three sets in the under-14 boys final, while the tall Poojashree Venkatesh was able to beat G. S. Janaki Rao with ease in the under-14 girls final. She won a double crown, by capturing the doubles title with Shweta Kumari Solanki.

Experts like former Davis Cup coach Akhtar Ali observed that by improving the foundation with good technique at a young age, Indian youngsters could take the next sure step towards progress.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Aqeel Khan (Pak) bt Vinod Sridhar 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-1; Doubles: Ajay Ramaswami and Vinod Sridhar bt Kamala Kannan and V. M. Ranjeet 6-2, 6-2.

Women: Sanaa Bhambri bt SonalPhadke 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; Doubles: Sanaa Bhambri and Isha Lakhani bt Liza Pereira and Sonal Phadke 7-6 (7), 6-1.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Vivek Shokeen bt Rupesh Roy 6-2, 3-6, 6-2; Doubles: Anshuman Dutta and Rupesh Roy bt

AQEEL KHAN

It was great honour for me to play the DSCL, National

championship. It was my first year in 2004, when I

came and played ITF Futures events in India. I was very

happy to get the invitation to compete in the National

championship. When the organises requested, I was quite

tired, playing a lot of Futures, Davis Cup, but promised

to come. Had heard a lot about many Pakistani players

winning the championship, before partition. It was a

great experience for me to play the Indian national

tournament.

It was really important for me, as I was playing a lot of

Futures. The Indian national tournament was like Futures

for me. All the best Indian players ranked in ATP like

Karan Rastogi competed in the championship. I flew back

from Pakistan to play this tournament. It was a dream to

play Indian nationals in my favourite city, Delhi.

Playing any tournament in India gives great memories.

The National championship was special. They took care

of me, for everything. I got special attention from the

tournament side. The national championship was good

for me.. It was very memorable, competing and winning

the Fenesta national title.

I am very happy with my tennis career as I didn’t work

that much but god gave me, a lot more results than my

hard work. I want to add. My first year, when I came to

prepare for Davis cup in India. I was in Delhi for three

weeks for the Satellite tennis. It was before the Davis Cup

against New Zealand. I had a lot of support from DLTA,

Coach Arun Kumar sir. I learnt a lot from them. I found

many good people to help me on and off the court.

Playing in India was special, and winning the National

championship was an amazing feeling.

56

Sumit Prakash Gupta and Tejasvi Rao 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Sanaa Bhambri bt Parul Goswami 7-5, 6-1; Doubles: G. K. Shweta and Preethi Subramaniam bt Ashmitha Easwaramurthi and Parija Maloo 6-2, 7-6 (3).

UNDER-14 BOYS: Vinay Kamineni bt SriramBalaji 2-6,

6-4, 6-3; Doubles: B. Vikram Reddy and Abhijeet Tiwari bt Vijayant Malik and Shiva Sangwan 6-2, 7-6 (4).

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Poojashree Venkatesh bt G. S. Janaki Rao 6-3, 6-2; Doubles:Shweta Kumari Solanki and Poojashree Venkatesh bt Prerna Mythry and Sushruta Reddy 6-2, 6-0.

Winners of DSCL Open Junior Nationals 2004 Mr. GI Singh and Mr. Sanjeev Kassal Veteran winners of DSCL Open Nationals 2004

Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting trophy to Poojashree Venkatesh (Winner) Girls U-14 Singles, DSCL Open Nationals 2004

Dr. K.K. Paul, IPS, Commissioner of Police-Delhi presenting trophy to Vivek Shokeen (Winner) Boys U-18 Singles, DSCL Open Nationals 2004

57

Nationals was one of the biggest events after the ITF

tournaments for all of us and especially the junior

categories. It was one of the most coveted trophies to

win for any Indian! There are two Fenesta events that I

fondly remember. One was when I lost the semi-finals

in the under-14 category but won the under-16 title. Lost

a close three-setter to Kartiki Bhatt, and beat Punam

Reddy the same day! It is always hard to play two

singles on the same day but I think as a junior I played

in a lot of 14 and 16 events and reached the latter stages

often.

The other favourite for me was when I won the triple

crown at the age of 16 the under-18, women’s and the

women’s doubles! It will forever remain special; this

was 2004 the year I also played the semifinals of the

Roland Farris doubles with SaniaMirza in the juniors.

The fact that the event was in Delhi, not only made

it a lot more special but also a lot more comfortable as

I remember my mom driving us back and forth, even if

we had an hour between matches to get a shower or a

quick bite to eat!

The people that watered the clay courts while the

clay courts existed or the umpires, the referees (most

often Puneet Gupta) one of my favourite referees in

Indian tennis, were fabulous! I have so many fond

memories of the people. The requests for Tuesday

starts or a particular court assignment. It was all so very

special as I walk back the memory lane.

I have mixed feelings about my tennis. Although I am

very proud and fortunate to have achieved everything

I did as a teenager, I owe every little bit of that to my

parents and the effort they put in. They would have

definitely, especially my dad would have loved to see

me and Ankita continue for a couple more years. He

always, till date, feels like we moved on a tad bit early.

However, personally I have no regrets as I made a very

calculated decision to pursue my MBA and experience

college tennis in the States. It is considered extremely

fortunate for anyone in the States to walk out with a

Masters education with no student loans! I was able to

have a full-fledged career and there wasn’t a day once I

entered the work force where I felt like I was left behind

because I didn’t quite have a normal school going life. I

felt competitive. In fact, the qualities on the tennis court

helped me succeed off it!

I manage a data and analytics team at Cisco today

(team of 11) and I feel blessed to have accomplished

all that I have so far! I dream big and hopefully I will

continue to climb the corporate ladder.

I do give back to the sport I love so much, I teach

several kids in North Carolina some of which are now

top ranked players in the 10 and under category in the

State as well as the nation!

As far as the organisers, I am able to see and follow

so many of the Indian officials at Grand Slams and

people that have made a career and living out of

tennis and officiating! I have also met some of them at

tournaments in the US the last few years, when I travel

to watch Yuki play! It’s a great opportunity for people

that love the sport and love the travel. I enjoy a lot of

different sports but tennis will always remain my first

love.

I wish everyone playing the Nationals this year and

for years to come, all the best! Enjoy the sport and these

will definitely be some of the most memorable years of

your childhood like they have been mine.

It is rare to see commitment from corporates

especially in tennis. Extremely thankful for their

support for decades, and hope the future generations

will value the commitment and not take the

tournament, organisers for granted. I hope they

continue to support Indian tennis for decades to come.

SANAA BHAMBRI

“

58

UNIL KUMAR AND ISHA LAKHANI had been the hero and heroine of the DSCL National tennis championship before, and they were happy to don the role once again, to possibly re-launch their career on a more sound footing.

The 22-year-old Chandigarh lad, Sunil had won the national men’s title in 1999, but has not been able to push his career as much as he should have despite being taken under his wings by our Davis Cup hero, multiple Grand Slam champion and Olympic bronze medallist Leander Paes.

Despite being stretched to three sets by wild card Purav Raja in the first round, and despite being tired after a successful stint in the four-week ITF Satellite circuit prior to the championship, Sunil played robust tennis to collect the winner’s purse of Rs.100,000. More than that he regained our confidence that his career would get back on the rails once again.

Ashutosh Singh had not won a round in the singles main draw in the last five editions that he had played but the 23-year-old Delhi boy, son of coach Balram Singh, made the final, as he rode on a favourable draw in beating three qualifiers in his first three rounds. In the semifinals, he downed the former national champion Vijay Kannan with an attacking all-round game. In the best of five sets final, Ashutosh took the third set, but he never threatened the eventual champion much.

The former champion Nitin Kirtane was getting ready to return to his favourite tournament, but a car accident that broke his non-playing right hand shattered his plans. Nitin wrote to say that he would fight his way back to the

2005Sunil Kumar and Isha Lakhani win it once again to revive their career

S

59

Dr. K.K. Paul, IPS, Commissioner of Police-Delhi, giving Trophy to Mr. Sunil K. Sipaeya ( Winner) Mens Singles, DSCL Open Nationals 2005 along with Mr Anil Khanna

Dr. K.K. Paul, IPS, Commissioner of Police-Delhi, presenting trophy to Isha Lakhani (Winner) Womens Singles, DSCL Open Nationals 2005

The organizing team of DSCL Open Winners at the ceremony of DSCL Open Nationals 2005

60

tennis courts once again, and that his career should not be written off as yet. Right spirit !

In Indian women’s tennis, Isha Lakhani is perhaps the most complete player after Sania Mirza. The short-built but stout-hearted Mumbai girl had beaten Sania in a $25,000 ITF women’s tournament in Mumbai, but has struggled to put together a successful career because of a series of injuries.

The high quality of tennis that Isha played in the national championship, in which she had won a double crown in 2002, showed that she would be a force to reckon in the months to come. It was a double crown for the 20-year-old Isha this time as she won the doubles as well with Sonal Phadke.

The petite Sonal finished runner-up for the third time, and managed to make a fight of it after trailing 3-5 in the second set. She has been admirably at it and came through a series of tough matches. Her time will come

The official team of DSCL Open Nationals

Mr. Vikram S Shriram addressing the audience at the DSCL Open Nationals 2005

61

some day. In the junior events, qualifier Arnav Jain stole

the hearts with his all-round game. A trainee of coach Enrico Piperno at the CCI in Mumbai, the 16-year-old Arnav did not drop a set in winning 11 matches including five in the qualifying event. The boy dropped only seven of 52 games in the qualifying tournament and was authoritative in the main draw as well, except for being taken to the tie-break in the second set by the top-seeded Sumit Prakash Gupta in the semifinals.

Poojashree Venkatesh was quite efficient in winning the under-18 and under-16 girls titles. In stopping national junior champion G. K. Shweta in three sets of the under-18 final, the 15-year-

old Poojashree showed that she has come of age. She had won the under-14 title last year. The tall Bangalore girl who trains at the Nagaraj Centre in Mysore had little challenge in winning the under-16 title. She was competing in the under-16 event just to ensure that she made the Indian junior Fed Cup team.

G. P. Prajnesh, a trainee of coach M. Balachandran at the KSLTA in Bangalore was a delight to watch with his intensity of approach and fluency of stroke play in the under-16 section. He beat players of all sizes and different styles with a touch of assurance to emphasise his potential, which he had already established with good performances in the ITF junior circuit.

Dr. K.K. Paul, IPS, Commissioner of Police-Delhi, presenting trophy to Geeta Manohar (Runners-up) Womens Doubles, DSCL Open Nationals 2005

Players signing In for the Nationals

62

The absence of the Bhambri sisters, who were successfully competing in $25,000 ITF women’s tournaments in Nigeria, was compensated by the presence of the Bhambri clan in the sub-junior events.

Yuki Bhambri was superb with his reading of the game and sound execution. The frail boy dominated the field in a draw of 64 and dropped only 20 games in six matches to clinch the honour. He won the doubles title also with his cousin Prateek Bhambri.

Rashmi Teltumbe, the 13-year-old trainee of Kedar Tembe in Mumbai, was seeded second and said that she had come to win the title. She did so after bouncing back from being 0-6 down in the final against the talented left-hander Soniya Dayal who had put out the top-seeded Prerna Bhambri in the semifinals.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Sunil Kumar bt Ashutosh Singh 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; Doubles: Divij Sharan and Vivek Shokeen bt Kamala Kannan and Ashutosh Singh 6-4, 6-1.

Women: Isha Lakhani bt Sonal Phadke 6-1, 7-6 (7); Doubles: Isha Lakhani and Sonal Phadke bt Sheethal Goutham and Geeta Manohar 6-1, 6-2.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Arnav Jain bt Kinshuk Sharma 6-2, 6-3; Doubles: Sumit Prakash Gupta and M. Saketh Sai Mynenibt A. S. Suresh Krishna and P. C. Vignesh 3-6, 6-1, 6- 0.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Poojashree Venkateshbt

Dr. K.K. Paul, IPS, Commissioner of Police-Delhi, presenting trophy to Isha Sonal Phadke (Runners-up) Womens Singles,DSCL Open Nationals 2005

Dr. K.K. Paul, IPS, Commissioner of Police-Delhi, presenting trophy to Ashutosh Singh, (Runners-up) Mens Singles, DSCL Open Nationals 2005

63

G. K. Shweta 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-4; Doubles: Parija Maloo and Shweta Kumari Solanki bt Sampada Kanade and Anushree Thamanna 6-2, 6-3.

UNDER-16 BOYS: G. P. Prajnesh bt SriramBalaji 6-3, 6-0; Doubles: G. P. Prajnesh and Akash Wagh bt Tariq Jacob and Navaneetha Kannan 7-5, 6-1.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Poojashree Venkatesh bt Parija Maloo 6-2, 6-0; Doubles: Parija Maloo and Poojashree Venkatesh bt Shalini Sahoo and Vishaka Sheoran 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.

UNDER-14 BOYS: Yuki Bhambri bt Mansingh Athare 6-4, 6-3; Doubles: Yuki Bhambri and Prateek Bhambri bt Ronak Manuja and Mandeep Singh Gill 6-0, 7-6 (5).

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Rashmi Teltumbe bt SoniyaDayal 0-6, 6-4, 6-2; Doubles: Gopika Kapoor and Y. P. Aishwarya bt Prerna Bhambri and Rashmi Teltumbe 7-6 (3), 6-4.

Dr. K.K. Paul, IPS, Commissioner of Police-Delhi, presenting trophy to Divij Sharan and Vivek Shokeen (Winner) Mens Doubles, DSCL Open Nationals 2005

Dr. K.K. Paul, IPS, Commissioner of Police-Delhi presenting trophy to Saketh Myneni and Sumit Prakash Gupta (Winners) Boys U-18 Doubles, DSCL Open Nationals 2005

Interactive Session with Ms. Sania Mirza, DSCL Open Nationals 2005

Ms. Sania Mirza along with the DCM Shriram official team

Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting the trophy to Sriram Balaji (Runners-up), Boys Under 16 Singles, DSCL Open Nationals 2005

Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting the trophy to Gopika Kapoor (Winner), Girls Under 14 Doubles, DSCL Open Nationals 2005

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E WAS NOT THE favourite, but Purav Raja proved that he was the best as he fought his way to the title. ‘’I just refused to lose’’, said the 20-year-old Mumbai lad, after taming Vishnu Vardhan in a battle of wits that spanned three hours and 54 minutes. Purav won the dramatic contest 1-6, 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-3.

Having won the doubles title the previous day with his coach and partner Sandeep Kirtane, Purav had tasted success and was thirsting for more. He had stopped the talented Sanam Singh, by bouncing back from 1-4 in the decider in the semifinals, and thus had the confidence to match anyone.

What was impressive about Purav was his ability to stay mobile till the end and think on his feet, while Vishnu seemed to be weighed down by expectations that he had perhaps heaped on himself. Vishnu’s big serves failed to fire and he paid for losing serve early in the second, third and fourth sets. He had put up a flawless game till the final, pulling off a series of impressive matches, particularly the one against Ashutosh Singh in the semifinals, but at the crunch he just could not put it all together.

The contrast between the two was the level of self-belief. Purav was brimming with it and Vishnu, a strapping young man with a lot of energy and intense focus, lacked the conviction in his own abilities.

Purav had given a glimpse of his abilities by taking the first set against Sanam after being 2-5 down in the semifinals that set the tempo for his eventual entry into the final. He had the distinct ability to fight his way back into a match.

2006

H

Purav Raja wins a maiden double crown, Isha Lakhani does it for the third time

66

Equally, the top-seeded Isha Lakhani was quite determined and bounced back from an indifferent start to outplay the talented Sandhya Nagaraj in three sets in the women’s final. She had earlier won the doubles title with her.

The diminutive left-hander from Mumbai, Isha has a stout heart and can beat anyone on her

day, if she puts her mind on the job. She is the last Indian player to have beaten Sania Mirza, but a string of injuries has prevented Isha from doing justice to her potential in the international arena.

‘’It is important to win the national title. I am glad to have done it again’’, said Isha who had won the women’s singles and doubles titles in

Mr. Ajay S. Shriram, presenting trophy to Sriram Balaji (Winner), Boys U-18 Singles DSCL Open Nationals 2006

Nandan Bal organizing a clinic during the Nationals Mr. Ajay S. Shriram, presenting trophy to Kyra Shroff and Kelsey Sundaram (Winners), Girls U-18 Doubles DSCL Open Nationals 2006

Mr. Ajay S. Shriram, presenting trophy to Yannick Nelord Balaji (Runners-up), Mens Doubles DSCL Open Nationals 2006

67

2002 and 2005 as well. Sriram Balaji was the best in the junior

section, but started awfully against Fariz Mohammad in the under-18 final, failing to win a game in the first set. Fariz had knocked out the defending champion Arnav Jain easily in the semifinals and looked to have continued from there. However, the wiry lad from Chennai, Balaji regrouped his game quickly and overwhelmed the opponent eventually in the third set, paying back with the same coin.

Kyra Shroff celebrated her 14th birthday by winning the girls under-18 title, as she beat her doubles partner Kelsey Sundaram in straight sets after being 2-5 in the first set.

‘’I didn’t expect to win the under-18 title. I need to be more aggressive’’, said Kyra, revealing her better understanding of the demands of the game.

Kyra had shown her fighting abilities by bouncing back from 5-7, 2-5 to beat the smooth stroking Parija Maloo in a tough semifinal that lasted three hours and 25 minutes. In fact, Kyra had to ward of further danger at 1-3 in the decider.

Rashmi Teltumbe was the star in the second week as she won the under-16 and under14 titles. The Mumbai girl beat Nova Patel of Gujarat in successive finals in contrasting styles.

A trainee of Kedar Tembe, Rashmi recovered from the sight of defeat at 2-5 in the second set to beat Nova 6-7(2), 7-6(4), 6-3 in two hours and 25 minutes for the

PURAV RAJA

When I played Fenesta it was an integral part of Indian tennis

players schedule. When I was growing, I am lucky to have played

this event. It was a great experience. The title put me on the tennis

map. It gave me the push towards my tennis career.

I remember being nervous the first year. I remember losing

easily to Vishaal Uppal. I had just come to India after studying

abroad. In those days, doing well in the tournament was like

getting a visa to the Indian team. We used to have two nationals,

grass court and hard court. Following year it gave me the

confidence to play at the highest level. To give me the belief to

compete at the highest level.

It is 20 years. At that time I didn’t know much. My coach

SandeepKirtane and me, the way we went through. It was the

stepping stone. Top-10 a sense of belonging. I didn’t like trianing.

My first two years of traininng. Stepped up the training as I wanted

to compete well. It was an incredible experience.

It was the mecca of tennis. All age groups 14, 16, 18. Everyone in

Indian tennis makes it there. We need many more tournaments

like that. It will rectify the financial problems of tennis players.

We can have 15, 20 or 30 world class tennis players in the top-

500, based on the tennis events in India. Now 25, earlier 100.

It is unbelievable to look at the 25 plus years of association of

DCM Shriram with the game. I don’t know them personally. More

people caring for tennis like this will be good. If we have 20 such

tournaments, it will change Indian tennis. If you can’t travel, you

can’t make a living from the game. All the best players should play

this event. But, it possibly clashes with the International circuit.

Not easy to take time off from the international schedule to come

and play this. There should be enough reward for the players

to consider playing this. You have got to make it important. It

should be the epicentre of Indian tennis. Make it prestigious.

Push through the system. If the prize money is five lakh, for the

champion and runner-up, try to make it eight lakh. Or an unheard

of sum. When I got the winner’s cheque, it paid the salary for

the coach for some months. There has to be more incentive to

play this event. Don’t give cash. You can give coach fee for some

time. Maybe, travel grant to play the international circuit for a

few tournaments. Maybe, when you win Fenesta or reach finals,

you get a patch to wear on your clothing for a year, and get paid

suitably for the same.

under16 title. Nova was so good despite a bout of Malaria.

However, she was not left with any energy for the under-14 final later in the day. ‘’My aim was to win both the titles and am glad to have accomplished that. I am proud to have done this without much preparation as I was busy with the school

examinations before this tournament’’, said Rashmi. Yuki Bhambri continued to assert his class

as he made the under-16 final against Vijayant Malik and defended the under-14 title. The lanky Chandigarh lad, Vijayant started well and retained the momentum for a straight forward win against Yuki, who recovered from 0-5 in the first set to make

Purav Raja with his trophies (Winner) Mens Singles & Doubles, DSCL Open Nationals 2006

Vishnu Vardhan with his trophy (Runners-Up), Mens Singles, DSCL Open Nationals 2006

Isha Lakhani (Winner) Womens Singles with her trophy DSCL Open Nationals 2006

Vishnu Vardhan and Purav Raja after the DSCL Open National 2006

69

a fight of it, but could not push his way much, purely for lack of physical energy. Maybe, Yuki will be better prepared next year !

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Purav Raja bt Vishnu Vardhan 1-6, 7-6(3),

6-3, 6-3; Doubles: Purav Raja and Sandeep Kirtane bt Saurav Sukul and YannickNelord 6-0, 7-6 (6).

Women: IshaLakhani bt Sandhya Nagaraj 3-6, 6-3, 6-3; Doubles: Isha Lakhani and Sandhya

Mr. Ajay S. Shriram, presenting trophy to Yuki Bhambri (Winner), Boys U-14 Singles DSCL Open Nationals 2006

Mr. Ajay S. Shriram, presenting trophy to Vijayant Malik (Winner), Boys U-16 Singles DSCL Open Nationals 2006

Mr. Ajay S. Shriram, presenting trophy to Rashmi Teltumbe (Winner), Girls U-16 Singles DSCL Open Nationals 2006

Mr. Ajay S. Shriram, presenting trophy to Rishika Sunkara (Winner), Girls U-14 Doubles DSCL Open Nationals 2006

70

Nagaraj bt Poojashree Venkatesh and Parija Maloo 6-3, 6-4. UNDER-18 BOYS: Sriram Balaji bt Fariz Mohammad 0-6, 6-4, 6-0; Doubles: Prajnesh Gunneswaran and Akash Gujarathi bt Sumit Prakash Gupta and Kinshuk Sharma 6-3, 7-6 (5).

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Kyra Shroff bt Kelsey Sundaram 7-5, 6-4; Doubles: Kyra Shroff and Kelsey Sundaram bt Shalini Sahoo and Vishaka Sheoran 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.

UNDER-16 BOYS: Vijayant Malik bt Yuki Bhambri 6-3, 6-3; Doubles: Karunuday Singh and Abhijeet Tiwari bt Vijayant Malik and Shiva Sangwan 6-7 (9), 6-4, 10-4.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Rashmi Teltumbe bt Nova Patel 6-7 (2), 7-6 (4), 6-3; Doubles: Prachi Nadkarni and Tanvi Shah bt Ratnika Batra and Garima Vatwani 6-2, 6-4.

UNDER-14 BOYS: Yuki Bhambri bt Sumeet Shinde 6-3, 6-3; Doubles: S. Siddharth and Aniket Wakankar bt Shahbaaz Khan and Vishwesh Sinha 6-7 (2), 6-1, 10-5.

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Rashmi Teltumbe bt Nova Patel 6-4, 6-2; Doubles: Divija Mandava and Rishika Sunkara bt Anushka Bhargav and Nikkie Gargi 6-3, 7-5.

It was incredible to finally get my hands on the trophy

and it is something that I will always cherish. I’ve been

competing in it since I have been 11 years, playing the

14 and 18 and watching my sisters pick up not one but

triple titles in a single edition.

It has always been an important tournament for me

and it has a lot more meaning as it is played in Delhi.

The year I finally won it I think I also ended up

having a good run towards the end of the year on the

ATP Tour. Winning always helps with your confidence

and I was very happy to finally hold a national tittle

as I was the only one in the family who hadn’t won

it till then. Everyone including Prerna and Prateek

is a national champion, so had to keep up with that

standard.

I have a lot of memories of it specially since the

personnel and organisers hadn’t changed much. I

remember watching my sisters pick up championship

after championship. I remember when I started

playing, it was an open draw and one had to play

multiple matches a day, sometimes just to make the

main draw.

I am employed by ONGC who have given me the

freedom to pursue my dreams and have put no

pressure at all to come and work. They have only been

encouraging and I am very grateful for their support.

I am proud of my achievements but i still think I can

improve and do a lot more. I am very eager to get back

to the court and to start competing again.

Kudos to the organisers who have stuck with tennis

and helped Indian tennis to get to where it is today.

Sponsorship has always been a problem in India. So,

it is fantastic to see the organisers doing their best to

make the tournament successful, year after year.

YUKI BHAMBRI

“

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T 25, ASHUTOSH SINGH combined his fluent game with considerable maturity to tame some of the future stars in winning his maiden national singles title.When Yuki Bhambri and Prajnesh Gunneswaran, who went on to become No.1 in the country, playing the Grand Slams and breaking into the top-100, were supposed to draw capitalise on the platform, Ashutosh, son of renowned coach Balram Singh, served the surprise with a touch of assurance. He beat Prajnesh in the final in straight sets. Having lost the opportunity two years earlier in the final against Sunil Kumar in a best of five sets contest then, Ashutosh sealed the title. He made the doubles final as well with Vivek Shokeen, but the Delhi pair lost the final to Vinod Sridhar and Vishnu Vardhan 9-11 in the super tie-break.

Ashutosh had no complaints as doubles was something he could master a lot better on a regular basis, and it was joy for him to triumph in singles. Those were early days for Prajnesh, and he won the junior title, beating Vijayant Malik in the final. Isha Lakhani won her fourth national women’s title, beating the ever green Rushmi Chakravarthi. She partnered Rushmi for the doubles title.

Tanvi Shah lost the junior final to Kelsey Sundaram, but won the doubles title with Shivika Burman. Prateek Bhambri did well to win the under-16 boys title, while Ratnika Batra hinted at her ability by winning both the under-16 and 14 girls titles.

Mohit Mayur was taking the baby steps into the big league by winning the under-14 boys title, while Ramkumar Ramanathan put his name as the runner-up in doubles with Rakshay Thakkar. Ronit Bisht lost the singles final, but won

2007

A

Ashutosh Singh emerges from the shadow, Isha Lakhani stays in the spotlight

72

Mrs. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister, Delhi presenting trophy to Shivika Burman, (Winner) Womens Doubles, DSCL Open Nationals 2007

Mrs. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister, Delhi presenting trophy to Sonal Phadke and Sanaa Bhambri, (Runners-up) Womens Doubles, DSCL Open Nationals 2007

Mrs. Sheila Dikshit, presenting trophy to Isha Lakhani (Winner) Womens Singles DSCL Open Nationals 2007

Mrs. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister, Delhi presenting trophy to Ashutosh Singh, (Winner) Mens Singles DSCL Open Nationals 2007

73

the under-14 doubles with Digvijay Singh. Prerna Bhambri also hinted about her ability to follow the footsteps of her cousins, Ankita Bhambri and Sanaa Bhambri, as she won the girls under-16 title with Gopika Kapoor.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Ashutosh Singh bt Prajnesh Gunneswaran 6-4, 7-6(4); Doubles: Vinod Sridhar & Vishnu Vardhan bt Vivek Shokeen & Ashutosh Singh 6-4, 3-6, 11-9.

Women: Isha Lakhani bt Rushmi Chakravarthi 6-3, 6-1; Doubles: Rushmi Chakravarthi & Isha Lakhani bt Sanaa Bhambri & Sonal Phadke 7-5, 6-1.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Prajnesh Gunneswaran bt Vijayant Malik 6-3, 6-2; Doubles: Vijayant Malik & Kinshuk Sharma bt Prateek Bhambri & Ankit Sachdeva 4-6, 6-4, 10-5.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Kelsey Sundaram bt Tanvi Shah 7-5, 6-4; Doubles: Shivika Burman & Tanvi Shah bt Grace Hannah & V. Archana 7-6(4), 6-2.

UNDER-16 BOYS: Prateek Bhambri bt Shiva Sangwan 6-2, 6-0; Doubles: Rohit Bisht & Saurabh Singh bt Shahbaaz Khan & S. V. Abhishek 6-3, 5-7, 12-10.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Ratnika Batra bt Ankita Raina 6-4, 6-3; Doubles: Prerna Bhambri & Gopika Kapoor bt Nimisha Mohan & Arushi Sharma 6-4, 6-2.

UNDER-14 BOYS: Mohit Mayur bt Rohit Bisht 7-6(7), 6-4; Doubles: Ronit Bisht & Digvijay Singh bt R. Ramkumar & Rakshay Thakkar 6-1, 6-1.

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Ratnika Batra bt Natasha Palha 6-4, 6-4; Doubles: Vaidehi Bhagwat & Prarthana Thombare bt Sowjanya Bavisetti & Nidhi Chilumula 6-2, 1-6, 10-5.

It was the most talked about nationals in India

and also a very prestigious as all the top names

in the country competed in it. There is always

excitement in the tennis community when this

event takes place. The last time I played the

event was in 2011, when I qualified and made

the semi finals. It was memorable, as I had just

come back from college tennis and did not

have a national ranking to participate in ITF/

ATP tournaments. Thanks to the entry into

the national championship and the points that

accrued against my name, I got to compete that

year and play a lot of quality matches.

For many, the national championship gives a

platform to represent the country at the highest

level. To me, it was the life line then, as I had to

get into the ranking system, or else I would not

have been eligible to play the ITF or ATP events.

As a tennis professional, it is very encouraging

to see this event running for so many years.

It is because of the organisers and sponsors

who have done a tremendous job in promoting

the nationals. There is a lot of work behind

the scenes to make this annual tournament

successful each and every year. Hope it keeps

growing bigger and better! SAKETH MYNENI

“

74

Mrs. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister, Delhi presenting trophy to Vinod Shridhar, (Winner) Mens Doubles DSCL Open Nationals 2007

Mrs. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister, Delhi presenting trophy to Prateek Bhambri, (Winner) Boys U-16 Singles, DSCL Open Nationals 2007

Mrs. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister, Delhi presenting trophy to Vijayant Malik and Kinshuk Sharma, (Winner) Boys U-18 Doubles, DSCL Open Nationals 2007

Mrs. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister, Delhi giving a speech at the opening ceremony

75

The feeling of being crowned the national champion

of India and join the elite list of past stalwarts was

unparalleled. Also there was a sense of relief by the way

of completing the unfinished work from 2005, when I

was a finalist.

The day, October 5, 2007, will remain etched in

my memory for ever. Having your name on the most

coveted prize in Indian domestic calendar, was a very

special feeling.

Winning my first national championship in DSCL in

2007 was an overwhelming experience as it was being

held at DLTA which is a second home for me. Doing

well in important events helps in self belief and it was

the same for me as I became self assured in my game.

Impact was such that I ended up having 2007-08 as

one of my best seasons on the circuit. Subsequently,

getting a call up to be a part of the Indian Davis Cup

team against Japan and Uzbekistan in the same season

was very special. The prize money allowed me to get

in couple of extra weeks of international tennis in my

schedule, where I did well. So that played its part too.

Any DSCL memory is incomplete without

remembering the A-list team headed by Mr. SN

Chatterjee earlier and now Ms. Aman Pannu. As

everyone is aware, DLTA is a special place for me and

I insisted on giving a victory speech at the podium,

asking for the mike, as I wanted to say my gratitude

towards my family, my coach Arun Kumar and the

whole staff of DLTA which is like an extended family to

me.

I am currently coaching in Delhi with my elder sister

Shalini Thakur Chawla, who herself has few DSCL

trophies to her name. Still spending most of my time on

the tennis court, can’t ask for anything more. Thankful

for it. God has been kind.

On behalf of the whole Indian tennis fraternity

I thank with folded hands the organisers who did

a shoddy job of conducting a Delhi State level

tournament in which Mr. Ajay Shriram’s son and my

one time training partner, Aditya Shriram participated.

As revealed by Mr. Ajay Shriram in one of the prize

distribution ceremony, that was the moment he

decided to start this event with professional expertise.

The extremely generous DSCL tennis family has a

small part in improving Indo-Pak relations, as in 2004,

they extended a wild card to Aqeel Khan. The Indian

players went a step further in showing our world

renowned hospitality by letting him win the crown !

This event has constantly evolved and now is the

premier event par excellence in the domestic calendar.

The players refer to it as “The Indian Slam”.

I understand due to paucity of time and scheduling

discipline the tournament has done away with best

of five sets matches for the Men’s finals but as a purist

tennis fan I am a big time advocate for best of five sets

semis and finals for Men’s event in the nationals.

Also, they did have mixed doubles event for a couple

of years at DSCL and I would request if these two points

could be looked into by the organisers.

To my knowledge, Sunil Sipaeya and I, were the last

pair to play a scheduled best of 5 sets finals in 2005,

though the match finished in four sets.

Reaching 2005 singles finals was a bigger impetus

for me than my victory in 2007 as it gave the much

needed boost to my self-confidence at that point in my

career.

Best wishes for the tournament.

ASHUTOSH SINGH

“

76

IRALI MURUGESAN RANJEET won the men’s title, beating Sriram Balaji in the final. With the DCM Shriram Group supporting the All India Tennis Association (AITA) in offering the prize money, but not taking up the responsibility of hosting it, owing to the construction work at the DLTA Complex for the Commonwealth Games, the players had to endure a big salary cut! The men’s champion was presented Rs.30,000.

The continuity was maintained as far as the National hard court championship was concerned, even though each event had to be conducted in separate weeks in different places, including Punjab. It was some consolation as the brisk Commonwealth Games work upset all plans of the conduct over the next two years, as Indian tennis stayed focused on international events.

Ranjeet played solid through the week, while Balaji had saved a match point in the semifinals against Aditya Madkekar for a 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-1 victory. Balaji had to wait for his singles titles for many years!

Ratnika Batra stepped up from being the under-16 and 14 champion the previous year, by outplaying Shweta Rana 6-3, 6-0 in the women’s final. Only three of the top-20 ranked women played the championship, as most of them were occupied with international events. While Abhihseet Tiwari beat Ronit Bisht for the junior boys title, the latter won the under-16 title and added the under-14 title by beating one of the future stars, Arjun Kadhe.

Shweta Rana won the under-16 girls title, while Sansitha Nandakumar beat Prarthana Thombare for the under-14 girls crown. Prarthana went on to mature into a quality doubles player who won the Asian Games doubles bronze with Sania Mirza in 2014, apart from competing in the Rio Olympics with Sania in 2016.

Ankita Raina another future star gave glimpses of her ability by winning the

2008

VVM Ranjeet, Ratnika Batra win the titles

77

I really feel winning the Nationals is a big thing for any

Indian tennis player or be it in any country. I won it in

2008 for the first time and then again in 2016 on grass.

When I won it for the first time in 2008 ,it really did

change the momentum of my career. It had a very good

impact when I won it and I immediately got selected to

be a part of the Commonwealth games 2010 probables

list. There were a lot of good players training alongside

and we were also at Nick Bollettieri Academy in Florida

for a few weeks of training .We were all predominantly

training in New Delhi for a year and AITA helped us

with the travel and flights. I happened to make use of

the opportunity and did quite well and was ranked

around ATP 400 in singles. It was all about consistency

and winning matches after that.So it was a great launch

pad for me. I remember coming to Shriram Open when I

was like 11/12 years old to play the qualifying event and

it used to be this mega event where qualifying would be

spread out for over a week with so many events and to

get through the qualies and make the main draw was a

task. It was a mega event and it was just massive from

whatever I remember .

I am currently employed with ONGC and have been

with them for the last nine years. I am a Senior- HR

Executive Officer . They have been of immense support

through out my tennis career ever since I joined them.

I am very happy with my tennis career and I could

have probably scaled bigger heights if I had more

financial support (flights , travel etc and you know how

difficult and expensive tennis is without sponsors). I

did not have any sort of big sponsors but I am happy

that I could make it somewhere without much support

. If’s and but’s apart, I am very content with it all. Can’t

complain and am always grateful for whatever I have.

I really think that 25 years is a super effort by the

team and it shows their passion. Kudos to them.

Hopefully another 25 comes along.

VM RANJEET

“

Sour

ce: T

he H

indu

78

under-16 girls doubles title with Shweta Rana.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: VM Ranjeet bt Sriram Balaji 6-3, 6-4; Doubles: B. Vikram Reddy & Abhijeet Tiwari bt Mithun Murali & Vinod Sridhar 6-4, 6-7(2), 10-4.

Women: Ratnika Batra bt Shweta Chandra Rana 6-3, 6-0; Doubles: Treta Bhattacharya & Shalini Sahoo bt Arantxa Andrady & Sayali Bhiilare 6-1, 6-3.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Abhijeet Tiwari bt Ronit Bisht 6-1, 6-3.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Nimisha Mohan bt Sweta Kumari Solanki 6-2, 6-0.

UNDER-16 BOYS: Ronit Bisht bt Divgijay Singh 4-6, 6-0, 3-0 (retired).

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Shweta Chandra Rana bt Prarthana Thombare 6-0, 6-0; Doubles: Ankita Raina & Shweta Chandra Rana bt Smriti Joon & Pooja Narayana 4-6, 6-4, 10-3.

UNDER-14 BOYS: Ronit Bisht bt Arjun Kadhe 6-3, 6-1; Doubles: Ronit Bisht & Arjun Kadhe bt Vishal Passi & Ajay Yadav 6-2, 6-2.

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Sansita Nandakumar bt Prarthana Thombare 5-7, 6-3, 6-2; Doubles: TirthaIska & Prarthana Thombare bt Amrita Mukherjee & Sai Samhitha 6-4, 6-1.

RATNIKA BATRA

My experience of winning the women’s title was really

rewarding. I looked up to the players who had won the

tournament in the previous years. So, winning the tournament

meant a lot to me.

To many players and families, an undeniable fact hits at

some point that winning is important in sports. To see that you

are choosing the right career. So, at that time winning was an

indication that I was going in the right path, and that I should

continue my efforts. Afterwards, I had a lot more confidence

and it opened up opportunities for me to start playing more

international tournaments. It was a start of an amazing journey.

I was off to a good start with Fenesta. The door of

opportunities opened a little more for me. Doing well in the

international tournaments that followed, led me to an amazing

University where I received a great education and a couple of

degrees.

The feeling was special. Many tennis players in India want

to win this tournament, and I wished for the same. The best

memory I have is my family and team being there for me and

to celebrate the moment with me.

I am very happy with my tennis career. In the midst of all the

hard work, there were beautiful days where I realised that I was

experiencing the world first hand. Those experiences were not

only humbling but also formed some of the ideologies that I

hold so dearly today. I think the organisers who have stuck with

tennis for a long time have played a crucial role in the success

of many players. They have shown trust and support for the

players. It can get difficult for most players to deal with external

issues when they have to already work very hard to compete

and do well against players who might be working equally

hard. These organisers are part of a team that players need to

succeed in achieving their goals.

Indian tennis is blessed to have the support from the DCM

Shriram group.

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T WAS THE RIGHT to win the national championship! The prize money for the men was increased to Rs.150,000 and that of women’s to Rs. 100,000. DCM Shriram Group was returning to support the game after the Commonwealth Games. Yuki Bhambri tamed Vishnu Vardhan 6-4, 7-6(6) to clinch the men’s title. He had beaten Saketh Myneni 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 in the semifinals.

The field had some of the best players and past champions like MohitMayur, PC Vignesh, Vijay Sundar Prashanth, Vinod Sridhar and Nitin Kirtane, who was tamed by Ankita Sachdeva in the pre-quarterfinals.

Asian junior champion, 15-year-old Rutuja Bhosale, coached by Sandeep Kirtane, beat surprise finalist IshaLakhani, who was more into coaching than playing. Rutuja had earlier beaten former champion Rushmi Chakravarthi.

Isha had beaten Sowjanya Bavisetti and Sheethal Goutham in the earlier rounds. PrarthanaThombare and Rishika Sunkara were some of the other prominent players in the women’s field.

Arjun Kadhe and Sri Vaishnavi Peddi Reddy wont he under-18 boys and girls titles respectively.

SimranKaurSethi recovered from the disappointment of the final loss in the under-18 event, to win the under-16 title the following week. Pranjala Yadlapalli made the first impressions with the under-14 title.

Karan Salwan and Dhruv Pal battled their way to the boys under-16 and 14 titles respectively. Dhruv in particular had it tough in the semifinals, before he wriggled out to a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over Vishu Prasad.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Yuki Bhambribt Vishnu Vardhan 6-4, 7-6 (6); Doubles: Arjun Kadhe &

2011

IYuki Bhambri and Rutuja Bhosale emerge champions

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Mr. Anil Khanna in conversation with Ms. Sania Mirza, Mr Ajay S Shriram and Mr Ajit S Shriram also sitting alongside

Ms. Sania Mirza, presenting trophy to Yuki Bhambri, Mens Singles (Winner), Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship 2011

Ms. Sania Mirza being welcomed by Mr. Ajay S Shriram at the Fenesta Open Nationals 2011

Ms. Sania Mirza presenting trophy to Vishnu Vardhan, Mens Singles (Runners- up) Fenesta Open Nationals 2011

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Nitin Kirtane bt P. C. Vignesh & Vijay Sundar Prashanth 6-3, 7-5.

Women: Rutuja Bhosale bt Isha Lakhani 6-3, 6-3; Doubles: Sharmada Balu & Rishika Sunkara bt Treta Bhattacharya & Rushmi Chakravarthi 3-6, 6-2, 10-4.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Arjun Kadhe bt Mohit Mayur 7-5, 6-1; Doubles: Vilasier Khate & Shaikh Abdullah bt Vinod Gowda & Vishwesh Sinha 6-1, 5-7, 10-5.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Sri Vaishnavi Peddi Reddy bt Simran Kaur Sethi 2-6, 6-4, 6-1; Doubles: Namita Bal & Prarthana Thombare bt Amrita Mukherjee & Sai Samhitha 6-3, 6-4.

UNDER-16 BOYS: Karan Salwan bt Fatehdeep Singh 7-6 (5), 6-4; Doubles: Dhruv Agarwal & Karan Salwan bt Gagan Sharma & Deepak Vishvakarma 6-0, 7-5.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Simran Kaur Sethi bt Tarrannum Handa 7-5, 6-0; Doubles: Snehadevi Reddy & Dhruti Venugopal bt Simran Kaur Sethi & Ambika Pande 6-3, 3-6, 10-8.

UNDER-14 BOYS: Dhruv Pal btSachin Kumar 6-4, 1-6, 6-2; Doubles: Ravi Raswant & Aryan Goveas bt B. R. Nikshep & Alex Solanki 6-4, 6-4.

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Pranjala Yadlapalli bt D. Nayanika Reddy 7-6 (5), 6-2; Doubles:Shruta Kirti Gunuganti & Pranjala Yadlapalli bt Snehal Mane & Zeel Desai 6-2, 7-5.

VIJAY SUNDAR PRASHANTH

When I was in the first year of under-14, I started to travel for

tournaments. I played the qualifying event if I am not wrong.

It was probably the one tournament of the year, in entire

India, when all the players came together to play.

First time, it was hard for me to digest. I had not seen so

many players, so many parents, and so many people in

one place. So, I just wanted to leave. As time went on, I got to

know more players. I could meet everyone, men to under-14,

together.

As a 14 year old, when I came for the tournament, all

under-14 kids used to watch men’s nationals. Top players in

India competed against each other. Best of five sets finals. You

get inspired by watching those players. Those top players

were sponsored for their clothing, which was unheard for me,

in India.

All these things gave me motivation to play the Shriram

Open, to play hard, and win the nationals. It motivated us to

work hard to play through the year. To make the draw was

the top goal for most of the players through the year. The idea

was to make the main draw, get seeded and take it from there.

I enjoyed my journey, for sure. I have set targets. I don’t

judge myself based on what I achieve. I have really enjoyed

the journey. Looking back, I could have done so many things

in a different way. I don’t think too much about it. I am happy

with the journey I have taken. There is a lot of room for

improvement. Still I want to achieve my targets. Really looking

forward to continue playing professional. To the organisers,

congratulations, sponsor for 25 years, year in and year out.

Hopefully, they will continue it for more years to come.

When I was 14, 16 and 18, playing the nationals and winning

it was such a huge thing. Unfortunately, it is not the case any

more. It is not up to that level that it used to be. I hope it gets

back to that level. I hope playing Shriram Fenesta Open and

winning Nationals is taken seriously. That is what I wish.

82

Ms. Sania Mirza presenting trophy to Mohit Mayur, Boys U-18 (Runners- up) Fenesta Open Nationals 2011

Ms. Sania Mirza presenting trophy to Arjun Kadhe, Boys U-18 (Winner) Fenesta Open Nationals 2011

Ms. Sania Mirza presenting trophy to Rutuja Bhosale, Womens Singles (Winner) Fenesta Open Nationals 2011

Ms. Sania Mirza presenting trophy to Isha Lakhani, Womens Singles (Runners-up) Fenesta Open Nationals 2011

83

N THE YEAR OF THE London Olympics, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan won his maiden national title, even as Olympian Sania Mirza came up with a masterstroke of equal prize money for women in the championship.

Despite having won international titles, Jeevan showed up to win a title that had been won by many notable players in the past. He handled the challenge from the 18-year-old Arjun Kadhe with conviction after a competitive first set.

The maturity and understanding of Jeevan was visible when he appreciated

2012

I

Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Prerna Bhambri take the court by storm

Mr. Kapil Dev, Mr. Ajay S. Shriram and Mr. Anil Khanna with winners of Fenesta Open Junior Nationals 2012

Mr. Ajay S. Shriram and Col Chauhan, DLTA with winners of Fenesta Open Junior Nationals 2012

84

Mr. Anil Khanna, Ms. Sania Mirza, Mr. Ajay S Shriram and Mr. Vikram S Shriram watching the finals at DLTA, Fenesta Open Nationals 2012

Mr. Ajay S Shriram and Ms. Sania Mirza along with Mr. Anil Khanna releasing the Souvenir, Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship 2012

Ms. Sania Mirza presenting trophy to Rishika Sunkara, Womens Singles (Runners-up) Fenesta Open Nationals 2012

Jeevan and Arjun Kadhe after the finals of Mens Singles

Ms. Sania Mirza presenting trophy to Jeevan Neduncheziyan, Mens Singles (Winner) Fenesta Open Nationals 2012

Jeevan Neduncheziyan & Prerna Bhambri Winner of Mens and Womens Singles, Fenesta Open Nationals 2012

85

the big serves of Arjun, but pointed out that modern tennis revolved a lot around strong legs, and better physical fitness.

‘’I know a lot of players have won this and gone on to better levels. I am happy to join them’’, Jeevan said. Taking a cue from some leading players, the left-handed Jeevan went on to focus on the doubles to progress fast into the Grand Slam circuit.

Young players Ramkumar Ramanathan and Mohit Mayur caught the eye with their strong game. They won the doubles title from the brink of defeat in the final against Kaza Vinayak Sharma and Vivek Shokeen to further emphasise their potential. Prerna Bhambri recovered from being down 2-6, 2-5 against top seed Rishika Sunkara to win the women’s title for the second time. It was a fairy tale finish for Prerna, who had saved two match points to beat Prarthana Thombare 6-7(8), 7-6(8), 6-0 in the first round.

There was ample reward for the champion, as the Chairman and Managing Director of DSCL, Mr. Ajay Shriram, announced equal prize money for women, in a quick response to the suggestion by chief guest Sania Mirza. ‘’Coming to this tournament is quite nostalgic for me. It is getting better every year’’, Sania had said.

So, the women’s champion was presented Rs. 150,000 and the runner-up Rs. 100,000, instead of original figures of, one lakh and Rs. 65,000.

Pranjala Yadlapalli won the girls under-18 title, and could have added the under-16 as well but for losing way from 6-2, 3-1 against Snehadevi Reddy.

Rishabh Aggarwal won the under-18 boys title and Garvit Batra the under-16 title. BR Nikshep

JEEVAN NEDUNCHEZHIYAN

My experience of playing Fenesta was always of pleasant

memories. As I grew up, this was the big tournament of the

year. Players in all age groups came for this. It was the Mecca

of tennis. All the best players in men’s tennis came for this,

when I was 14 or 15, and were competing hard for this title.

There was a sense of history and sense of pride when you

were playing this tournament. Being a junior, I remember

winning the junior doubles with Sanam Singh. I think I

watched Sanam play a great match against Sandeep Kirtane,

who was a Davis Cup player. It was a great interaction for the

promising juniors to play against the best men’s players. I

think that is lacking now, as the best juniors don’t get to play

the seniors that much. That was what I really liked about the

Nationals.

For me personally, when I look back, in 2012 when I won it,

I was struggling with an abdominal tear, which had occurred

and I was training in Germany. There were a few Futures,

coming up in October. I hadn’t played matches in about two

months because of the abdominal injury. I remember looking

at the national championship as a great preparation for the

international circuit for me, with tournaments scheduled in

Mumbai and Pune, if I remember right.

So, I went into the tournament to just play a few matches.

The mind set was focused on how the stomach holds up

when you serve for three sets. I was lucky enough to get to

play three sets straight away. I think I played three sets with

Ajai Selvaraj, played Vijay Kannan, a champion of the past.

Good matches all around. It worked out great for my body

and I was able to win the title. A very special thing for me to

win in Delhi. It helped me win the Mumbai ITF men’s Futures

two weeks later also. I was feeling very confident after the

title. A title is a title, as you win five matches. This confidence

translated to success at the international level. This was my

86

experience. Good matches help you get better.

When I visit Delhi, people coaching and the players

learning, respect the fact that I won the national

championship in Delhi. It has prestige still attached to it. It

had a great impact for me. Only once I did not make time

to play the national championship. But, I am happy when

I needed matches, we had an option to play a tournament

of this level. It definitely had a great impact on my career

and I have made a lot of friends.

The year I had played, Sania Mirza had come for the

final. It was the first time they decided to have equal prize

money for men and women. It was a cool idea. The fact

that Sania came and watched was great. It was a great

initiative by Sania to propose equal prize money as the

men and women were playing equal number of sets and

spending equal time on court. Prerna Bhambri had won

the women’s title. That was a sweet memory I had. For the

organisers to take the suggestion so quickly and obviously

Anil Khanna must have agreed promptly, to execute the

idea with immediate effect. It was a great initiative by

Sania.

Playing tennis is a 24-hour job. I do help people, any

juniors regardless of any country. I make time for them.

I have had a blessed career, being top 10 in juniors in the

world. Great time in college tennis. Been in the top 300 in

singles. Doubles pro in the Grand Slams now.

The sport has given me so much, I love giving back to

the young players when they are trying to figure out where

they belong and how best they can enjoy tennis. Having

seen different facets of the game, I can say that I can

provide inputs for most.

I am 30 years. I am still playing. Very happy that my

body is holding up. Living in the present.I am very happy

playing Grand Slams which was my childhood dream. I

know that I am a few more Grand Slams away from doing

well. It is still a learning experience. Never easy to go into

the Grand Slams and have good runs. I am on the right

track.I am enjoying the journey. I love travelling and love

meeting new people in the tennis circuit. I never looked at

it as a hassle, or a difficult thing to do for my career. I enjoy

all these aspects. I learn so much about life, and how to

be a good person through what it takes to be a very good

tennis player.

I have a lot of respect for the organisers who are sticking

by the game for 25 years. The consistency in conducting

this tournament is great for the game by the DSCL/

Shriram people. I remember the first year. Dushan Deo

was there on the mike, making funny announcements.

He was a great human being. I miss him. He was around

for many years. There were so many people who worked

behind the scenes to organise such a great tournament.

It had a great impact on my childhood, travelling to

North India and playing such good tournaments. It gave

me the opportunity to come back from College tennis

to win the title and gain confidence. So, a lot of good

things when I look back at the tournament. Juniors are

present, seniors present, juniors playing a lot of tennis,

they play men. One year Divij Sharan played the junior

final, junior doubles final and the men’s final. Great chance

for the juniors to gauge where they stand in the game.

Apart from playing the international circuit, if you play

the senior players from your own country, it gives you

a good perspective. So many good things about playing

the national championship that can benefit your career.

I hope the organisers stick around for many more years.

Hope there are more such tournaments with many events,

which will be good incentive for the players. We will be

building great memories for the juniors, who would want

to play tennis after a certain age, or have the passion to

continue.

87

gave hints of his all-round game by winning the under-14 event.

Vanshika Sawhney won the under-14 girls title, by beating Mihika Yadav. She also won the under-18 and under-16 doubles titles with Himani Mor. She went on to focus on her studies and joined the medical college.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan bt Arjun Kadhe 7-6(4), 6-1. Doubles: Mohit Mayur & R. Ramkumar bt Kaza Vinayak Sharma & Vivek Shokeen 5-7, 7-6(5), 10-3.

Women: Prerna Bhambri bt Rishika Sunkara 2-6, 7-6(7), 4-1 (retired); Doubles: Treta Bhattacharya & Natasha Palha bt Prerna Bhambri & Rishika Sunkara 6-4, 0-6, 10-7.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Rishabh Aggarwal bt Karan Salwan 6-1, 6-2; Doubles: Anvit Bendre & Shaikh Abdullah bt Shailender Boniface & Garry

Tokas 6-4, 6-0.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Pranjala Yadlapalli bt Tarrannum Handa 6-7(8), 6-0, 7-5; Doubles: Himani Mor & Vanshika Sawhney bt Jahnavi Gupta & Vineeta Singh 6-2, 6-3.

UNDER-16 BOYS: Garvit Batra bt Shashank Nautiyal 7-5, 4-6, 6-2; Doubles: Vishu Prasad & Deepak Vishvakarma bt Tejas Kapoor & Raswant Ravi 6-3, 6-4.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Snehadevi Reddy bt Pranjala Yadlapalli 2-6, 6-4, 6-1; Doubles: Himani Mor & Vanshika SawhneybtJahnavi Gupta &Vineeta Singh 6-2, 7-5.

UNDER-14 BOYS: B. R. Nikshep bt Sanil Jagtiani 6-1, 6-0; Doubles: Nitin Sinha & Vikash Singh bt Shramay Dhawan & Sumit Singh 6-4, 7-6(3).

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Vanshika Sawhney bt MihikaYadav 6-4, 7-6(4); Doubles: Nandini Sharma & Mihika Yadav bt Zeel Desai & Snehal Mane 7-6(2), 6-2.

The first time I went to Delhi was in 2007 for

the Fenesta Nationals, as a 13 year old. It was

the biggest national tournament I had been to

as far as the draw size and ranking points were

concerned. I made the under-14 singles finals that

year.

Since 2007, I have played the Fenesta

Nationals twice in 2012, 2013 and 2018. I have

always considered it a tournament of prestige

and pride. Considering the number of entries

this tournament gets from both men and women,

it is amazing how matches have always been

conducted on time, and conducted fairly.

Fenesta’s passion towards tennis is highlighted

by the continuous years they have sponsored

this event. Also equal prize money for both men

and women shows us the company’s modern

ways of thinking and support towards equal

rights for women.

Winning a trophy is always special. In

2012, 2013, I was winner in doubles with Treta

Bhattacharya. In 2018, I was the runner up in

women’s Singles. Therefore, this tournament

holds a special place in my heart!

NATASHA PALHA

“

88

Fenesta is not just a tournament but has been

a Tennis gala for every Indian tennis player. I

have really enjoyed playing this tournament

over the years. Winning it four times and that too

consecutively has been an amazing feeling. Knowing

that I have created history by doing that is an icing on

the cake.

I have grown up watching my elder siblings play

the DCM Shriram Open or DSCL as we called it, and

winning it. Ankita, Sanaa, Prateek and Yuki had won

several singles and doubles titles at this tournament.

Watching their matches as a junior, I wanted to

carry forward the baton. Fenesta has another great

significance for me. Prateek started coaching me a

couple of months before my first Fenesta win. It gave

me the extra edge I needed to pull off the win, and

we have had a great run ever since . He has a great

eye for specifics and working with him has had a

tremendous impact on my game. I have really been

lucky to have him in my box.

My first win here gave me a great boost and

instilled a great amount of confidence in me . Playing

against the top women players of the country and

ending on top of the ladder was a great feeling. It has

encouraged me to keep working harder. It gave me

a lot of confidence and self belief as a player which

helped me in winning several ITF tournaments.

I remember playing the long open qualifying draw

as a young kid. The thrill of being here all day and

trying to qualify to play the main draw where both

Ankita and Sanaa used to compete, was immense.

As a young girl playing this mega event, It had

always been a dream to win the tournament and

I must say that it has been an absolutely amazing

journey , going through the draws over the years and

then actually winning, not once but multiple times.

My family has always believed that players

should also try to complete their education along

with sports. They have always pushed me into trying

to get better in anything I do. I have completed two

postgraduate courses - an MBA, specialising in

Human Resources and another Masters degree in

International Relations.

I got married earlier this year. My husband Ayush

Tandon really understands what it is like being a

player and all the work we need to put in behind the

scene and is very supportive. He actually makes sure

that I don’t miss out on any of my training session

post the wedding too. It has been a great run. Playing,

travelling and competing on the WTA circuit all over

the world has been an amazing experience. You meet

so many new people in so many different countries.

It is a treasure trove of experiences. In the words of

my brother Prateek, ‘’It’s a life everyone would kill to

have, but a love they still wouldn’t understand.

Haha ..!’’

I’m glad my parents put me in this sport.

To create an event of this scale and then to

continuously run it year after year takes utmost

dedication and passion. The whole tennis

community of India is definitely indebted to the

Shriram family for their continuous effort to make

this a massive success. It is by far the biggest and

grandest tennis event of the country. It is not just

a tennis tournament but a tennis festival for every

Indian player.

The media coverage of the event is spectacular.

The progress of the players is covered in all the

papers and new journals online . The constant

exposure in the form of pictures , headlines and news

articles is a great morale booster for all the players .

We all go through every paper in the morning during

the week , knowing that we might find a mention of

our progress in the tournament reflected in them.

PRERNA BHAMBRI

“

89

T WAS THE SECOND successive national title for Prerna Bhambri, while Mohit Mayur denied Arjun Kadhe for a second time in the men’s final.Prerna beat Shweta Rana in the women’s final. It was the second loss in a final for Shweta, and she won the doubles title with Rushmi Chakravarthi, beating Prerna and SharmadaBalu.

Shweta had beaten Sharmada in three sets in the singles semifinals.Prerna had beaten the former champion Rushmi, who had competed in the

London Olympics with Sania Mirza, in the quarterfinals.Mohit Mayur had the big game and was able to highlight his all-round craft,

2013

IMohit Mayur and Prerna Bhambri clinch the titles

Mr. Rajiv Gupta, Secretary- Ministry of Sports & Youth Affairs, Govt. of India presenting gift to Arjun Khade, Mens Singles (Runners-up) Fenesta Open Nationals 2013

Winners Fenesta Open Junior Nationals 2013- Vanshika Sawney, Mihika Yadav, B.R Nikshep and Nitin Sinha

90

Mr. Anil Khanna signing the memento while Mr. Ajay S Shriram looks on during the 19th Fenesta Open Nationals prize distribution ceremony

Winners and Runners-Up of the Boys U-16 Fenesta Open Junior Nationals

Mr. Rajiv Gupta presenting trophy to Vanshika Sawhney & Himani Mor, Girls U-18 Singles (Runners-up) Fenesta Open

Mr. Rajiv Gupta presenting trophy to Shweta Rana, Womens Singles (Runners-up), Fenesta Open Nationals 2013

Mr. Rajiv Gupta presenting trophy to Prerna Bhambri, Womens Singles (Winner), Fenesta Open Nationals 2013

Mr. Rajiv Gupta presenting trophy to Snehal Mane & Nandini Sharma, Girls U-18 Singles (Winners) Fenesta Open Nationals 2013

91

honed at the training base in Spain thanks to the support of the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association.

The progress was distinct as Mohit had lost the quarterfinals to Arjun the previous year.

Arjun did have the consolation of winning the doubles title, in partnership with Mohit Mayur.

It was a test of character more than tennis skills when Mohit challenged the former champion Nitin Kirtane in the singles semIfinals, and pulled through in three sets.

Shweta was training with coach Todd Clark as the Harvest Academy in Jassowal, Ludhiana. There was proof of Todd Clark’s good work, as Hardeep Singh Sandhu tamed Sasi Kumar Mukund 7-6(3), 6-4 for the under-18 boys title. Sai Samhitha added to the joy of Tamil Nadu by winning the under-18 girls title, at the expense of Simran Kaur Sethi in three sets. Simran had beaten the talented, tall and wiry Karman Thandi in three sets in the semifinals.

Nitin Kumar Sinha took the baby steps in his bright career, with the under-14 title, while BR Nikshep continued to highlight his all-round game with the under-16 trophy. Vanshika Sawhney and Mihika Yadav won the under-16 and under-14 titles respectively, beating the same opponent, Ramya Natarajan.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Mohit Mayur bt Arjun Kadhe 6-3, 6-1; Doubles: Arjun Kadhe & Mohit Mayur bt P. C. Vignesh & Fariz Mohammad 6-4, 6-4.

Women: Prerna Bhambri bt Shweta Rana 7-5, 6-2; Doubles: Rushmi Chakravarthi & Shweta Rana bt Sharmada Balu & Prerna Bhambri 6-4, 7-5.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Hardeep Singh Sandhu bt Mukund Sasikumar 7-6(3), 6-4; Doubles: Deepak Vishwakarma & Aditya Deswal bt Alex Solanki & B. R. Nikshep 6-3, 6-4.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Sai Samhitha bt Simran Kaur Sethi 5-7, 6-3, 6-2; Doubles: Snehal Mane & Nandini Sharma bt Vanshika Sawhney & Himani Mor 6-0, 4-6, 10-7.

BOYS UNDER-16: B. R. Nikshep bt Udayan Bhakar 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Doubles: B. R. Nikshep & Alex Solanki bt Sanil Jagtiani & Parikshit Somani 6-4, 6-2.

BOYS UNDER-14: Nitin Kumar Sinha bt Yugal Bansal 6-3, 6-2; Doubles: Gurjot Singh & Mritunjay Badola bt Himanshu Mor & Kabir Manrai 6-1, 6-1.

GIRLS UNDER-16: Vanshika Sawhney bt Ramya Natarajan 7-5, 6-2; Doubles: Vanshika Sawhney & Himani Mor bt R Abinikka & Isha Budwal 6-2, 7-5.

GIRLS UNDER: 14: Mihika Yadav bt Ramya Natarajan 6-3, 6-2; Doubles: Sarah Dev & Prinkle Singh bt Harsha Sai Challa & Sathwika Sama 6-3, 2-6, 10-7.

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SASI KUMAR MUKUND

It was my first ever big tournament that I saw in my

life. When Vishnu Vadhan was playing back in 2008, it

looked like a Grand Slam to me at that time.

My dream came true in 2013 where each match was

a memory when i made the under 18 final. Every match

was filled with emotions, determination and so much

responsibility to go out there with your childhood

friends watching you. It was the week that changed my

life forever and made me believe that I could be a good

player.

I made my first ATP point days after I made the finals.

As i said, it gave me a lot of confidence after that, to go

out there and compete hard. I may be competing so

much abroad now. But, my life in tennis began at home.

My first ATP point, my first ITF Futures title, will always

remain very special to me.

More than the Futures, it is smaller cities where i

competed that has given me a lot of amazing memories.

All the men’s Rs.50,000 and one lakh event that I had

played.

If there is something that defines tennis it is the

Fenesta Nationals in Delhi. It is not just a tournament,

it has become a tradition, where everyone played and

champions were made. It was a pathway to many Davis

Cuppers like me, who once played there. We all have to

be grateful to the sponsors for keeping this wonderful

tradition. I wish this event goes on for many years to

come, for all of us to talk about. It used be like a festival,

like a wedding, that united the tennis family. It was this

tournament where you met all your friends, boys, girls,

men and women from different parts of the country.

You meet the parents and many different coaches,

whom you don’t get to meet so regularly in one place.

It is more like a family reunion for everyone, at least it

was the case when I played. I always wish that more

incentives are given like before and it becomes an

amazing event again where India’s top 10 would be back

in action.

Mr. Rajiv Gupta and Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting trophy & Cheque to Mohit Mayur Jayaprakash, Mens Singles (Winner) Fenesta Open Nationals 2013

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T WAS A HAT-TRICK of national titles for Prerna Bhambri, while it was the maiden title for Vishnu Vardhan, who had competed in the London Olympics with Leander Paes. Prerna beat the challenge from the future star, Karman Kaur Thandi, in three sets. Karman did win the under-18 singles title and the women’s doubles title with Sai Samhitha to emphasise her growing stature.

It was the right time to win the national crown, as the prize money had been doubled to Rs.300,000 for the winners and Rs.200,000 for the runners-up both

2014

IVishnu Vardhan wins, Prerna Bhambri stays unbeaten

Mr. Mahesh Bhupati Presenting the trophy to Karman Kaur Thandi, Womens Singles (Runners-up), Fenesta Open Nationals 2014

Mr. Mahesh Bhupati Presenting the trophy to Nitin Kirtane and Saurav Sukul Mens Doubles (Runners-up), Fenesta Open Nationals 2014

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Mahesh Bhupati presenting trophy to Vishnu Vardhan, Mens Singles (Winner), Fenesta Open Nationals 2014

Mr. Mahesh Bhupati Presenting trophy to Zeel Desai and Snehal Mane (Winners) Girls U-18 Doubles, Fenesta Open Natioanls 2014

Mr. Mahesh Bhupati Presenting trophy to Karman Kaur Thandi and Sai Samhitha (Winners) Womens Doubles, Fenesta Open Nationals 2014

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Mr. Ajit S Shriram giving a welcome speech at the prize distribution ceremony along with Mr. Sunil Garg, Dy. Sec Sports, Govt of India

Siddharth Rawat, Vishnu Vardhan, Prerna Bhambri & Karman Kaur Thandi, Winner and Runners-up of Mens and Womens Singles, Fenesta Open National Tennis

Winner of Womens and Girls U-18 Fenesta Open Nationals, 2014

Full house at the Prize distribution ceremony of Fenesta Open Nationals Junior 2014

96

in the men’s and women’s sections. It was the fighting spirit of Prerna that came to the fore, after Karman had got off to an explosive start, winning the first set and looking good for the champion’s trophy.

Vishnu overcame a mid match loss of tempo to tame the fighting Sidharth Rawat in three sets,

After the loss in the final to Yuki Bhambri in 2011, this was a welcome addition to the impressive resume for Vishnu, coached by CV Nagaraj and trained by Mohammed Abdul Latheef. The wild cards for the Challengers was the added attraction for the finalists. ‘’Sidharth is a very intelligent player. I almost fell into his trap before

Mr. Sunil Garg, Dy. Sec Sports, Govt of India giving the trophy to Ramya Natarajan and Akshara Iska (Runners-up) for U-16 Girls Doubles, Fenesta Open Junior Nationals 2014

Boys U16 and 14 with their trophies at the Fenesta Open Junior Nationals 2014

Mr. Sunil Garg, Dy. Sec Sports, Govt of India giving the trophy to Vashisht Cheruku, (Winner) U-16 Boys Singles, Fenesta Open Junior Nationals 2014

Winners Fenesta Open Juniors Nationals 2014-Digvijay Pratap Singh, Vashisht Cheruku, Sathwika Sama and Zeel Desai

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returning to my own game to not choke again’’, exclaimed Vishnu, whose game revolves around his big serve.

Sidharth had done a lot of good work earlier, in beating the top seed Karunuday Singh in the semifinals, after having knocked out defending champion Mohit Mayur in the quarterfinals.

In the under-18 boys final, Vidit Vaghela beat Dalwinder Singh in three sets.

Vishnu had to really fight his way past Ronit Bisht 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-4 in the semifinals. Vasisht Cheruku and Zeel Desai were strong in winning both the singles and doubles titles in the under-16 boys and girls events respectively.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Vishnu Vardhan bt Sidharth Rawat 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; Doubles: P. C. Vignesh & Kaza Vinayak Sharma bt Nitin Kirtane & Saurav Sukul 6-3, 6-2.

Women: Prerna Bhambri bt Karman Kaur Thandi 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Doubles: Karman Kaur Thandi & Sai Samhitha bt Riya Bhatia & Sharon Paul 4-6, 7-6 (3), 10-8.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Vidit Vaghela bt Dalwinder Singh 6-4, 2-6, 6-4; Doubles: Vashisht Vinod Cheruku & Prajwal Dev bt Param Pun & Paramveer Bajwa 1-6, 6-4, 10-7.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Karman Kaur Thandi bt Simran Kaur Sethi 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5); Doubles: Zeel Desai & Snehal Mane bt Mahak Jain & Shivani Ingle 6-3, 6-3.

UNDER-16 BOYS: Vasisht Cheruku bt BR Nikshep 2-6, 6-2, 7-5; Doubles: Vasisht Vinod Cheruku & Nitin Kumar Sinha bt Yugal Bansal & Armaan Bhatia 2-6, 6-4, 10-8.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Zeel Desai bt Ramya Natarajan 7-5, 6-0; Doubles: Zeel Desai & Jennifer Luikham bt AksharaIska & Ramya Natarajan 3-6, 6-3, 10-5.

UNDER-14 BOYS: Digvijay Pratap Singh bt Siddhant Banthia 6-3, 6-0; Doubles: Rishabh Sharda & Calvin Golmei bt Kabir Manrai & Himanshu Mor 6-4, 7-6(5).

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Sathwika Sama bt Sabhyata Nihalani 6-2, 6-2; Doubles: Sravya Shivani & Shivani Amineni bt Sai Dedeepya & Humera Shaikh 4-6, 6-4, 10-7.

Winner of Mens and Boys U-18 Fenesta Open Nationals 2014

98

It has been a great pleasure playing at the

Fenesta Nationals. It is always very well

organised. I thank everyone, the organisers and

the staff for putting in commendable effort to

make it such a memorable tournament, year

after year.

For me it holds a very special place. I won

three trophies in that first week, winning the

under 18 singles title, the women’s doubles title

with Sai Samitha and making it to the finals of

women’s singles.

It was an amazing week with lots of challenges

every day, because I was playing three matches

a day. In the process, I learnt a lot about myself

and the mental strength I have to give it all in

every match and never give up.

I remember on the day of the finals matches, I

played the women’s singles final in the morning

against Prerna Bhambri which I lost in a tough

battle. And the same day in the evening I played

my under-18 finals against Simran Sethi in the

evening. That match had it all, a lot of aggression,

passion, effort and most importantly the spirit of

never giving up!

KARMAN KAUR THANDI

“

Fenesta is the most prestigious tournament

in our domestic circuit as it has been running

for such a long time. It was my breakthrough

tournament, as out of nowhere, i reached the

men’s final. It provided the momentum for the

international tournaments.

So, i cannot forget the moment when i made

the final in 2014. It was a critical time. I was

about to quit tennis in 2014, because my father

had passed away. I gave my best in Fenesta that

year and luck favoured me. Othewise, I would be

doing something else now. I am very thankful to

the Fenesta organisers that they have continued

to host it for such a long time, so that players like

us can get hope.

Earlier, when I played it in juniors it was

called DSCL and the atmosphere was actually

more exciting because it used to be Open draws

and we used to play midnight matches till 2 ‘O

clock sometimes. But now, it is more systematic

which is good. So the excitement Fenesta brings

cannot be matched by any ITF and Challenger

tournament. Actually, Fenesta has more

emotions involved.

SIDHARTH RAWAT

“

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T WAS THE FOURTH women’s title in a row for Prerna Bhambri. Sriram Balaji won the men’s title, beating the defending champion and his doubles partner, Vishnu Vardhan. ‘’I came to win this title. I am happy to have won both the singles and doubles titles. I was happy to play my friend and doubles partner in the final. It was not easy. To break his serve three times in the match was special’’, said Balaji.

It was a completion of unfinished work in the national championship for Balaji, as he had lost the final to VM Ranjeet in the final in 2008. Interestingly, Balaji won the doubles title with Ranjeet.

2015

ISriram Balaji and Prerna Bhambri take their mantle

Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting winner’s cheque to Sriram Balaji (Winner), Mens Singles Fenesta Open Nationals 2015

Samhitha Sai Chamarthi, Sriram Balaji, Prerna Bhambri & Vishnu Vardhan winners and runners-up of Mens and Womens Fenesta Open Nationals 2015

100

It has always been special for me, to play

the national championship. For anyone,

winning the nationals is a proud feeling.

I won the men’s nationals in 2015, this

was pending for a long time as I have

won Shriram Open in under-16, 18. I don’t

think I won under-14, not sure about that.

Also, I happened to be the second

player in the history of Shriram/

Fenesta nationals to qualify and win the

nationals, which I did in 2015. I didn’t

send my entry as I was supposed to play

some other tournament. It was a last

minute plan and AITA had changed the

rules to not having any wildcards for the

main draw.

On the professional tour, I have had

decent success in singles. It could have

been better. Now I am focusing more

on doubles as I believe I can be more

dangerous in doubles.

To sponsor a tournament for 25 years

is a massive shout out to them. We all

know how hard it is now a days to find

someone to sponsor a tournament.

Hope they continue to support the

game. I would like to see more big

names participating in the Nationals.

The tournament and sponsors have to

find a way to get everyone playing the

Nationals. It can be increase in monetary

part or some other benefits. In a way, it is

also good for the tournament to have big

players.

Together we can grow better.

SRIRAM BALAJI

“

Mr. Bharat Oza, President, MSLTA, Mumbai, presenting trophy to Prerna Bhambri, Womens Singles (Winner), Fenesta Open Nationals 2015

Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting trophy to Samhitha Sai Chamarthi, Womens Singles (Runners- up), Fenesta Open Nationals 2015

101

Mr. Bharat Oza, President, MSLTA, Mumbai presenting trophies to Sathwika Sama & Shivani Ingle, Girls Double U-18 (Winner) Fenesta Open Nationals 2015

Mr. Ajay S. Shriram presenting trophies to Rishika Sunkara & Sowjanya Bavisetti, Womens Double (Runners-up) at Fenesta Open Nationals 2015

Mr. Bharat Oza, President, MSLTA, Mumbai, presenting trophy to Zeel Desai, Girls Singles U-18 (Winner) at Fenesta Open Nationals 2015

Mr. Ajit S. Shriram presenting awards to Sanya Singh, Girls Under-14 (Winner), 2015

102

It was on second thoughts that Balaji opted to play the national championship, and had to endure the qualifying event, as there was no provision for wild cards in the main draw.

In the semifinals, Balaji beat former champion Mohit Mayur, while Vishnu accounted for Ranjeet, firing 15 aces in the process.

The 23-year-old Prerna dropped only 16 games in all in winning her five rounds against a string of quality opponents, Mihika Yadav, Vaidehi Chaudhari, Sowjanya Bavisetti, top seed Snehadevi Reddy and the former national junior champion Sai Samhitha.

BR Nikshep continued to show his class in the national championship by beating the strong-built Aryan Goveas 7-5 in the decider in the boys under-18 final. Nitin Kumar Sinha and Mann Maulik Shah showed their ability by winning the under-16 and under-14 titles.

Zeel Desai fought back from a bad start to beat Sathwika Sama for the under-18 girls title, while Sabhyata Nihalani and Sanya Singh bagged the girls under-16 and under-14 titles. Sabhyata won the under-16 girls doubles title with Mahak Jain, a name that would become more familiar in the future events.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Sriram Balaji bt Vishnu Vardhan 7-5, 6-3; Doubles: VM Ranjeet & Sriram Balaji bt Shaikh Abdulllah & Mohit Mayur 6-4, 6-7(4), 10-6.

Women: Prerna Bhambri bt Sai Samhitha 6-0, 6-1; Doubles: Snehadevi Reddy & Dhruthi Venugopal bt Rishika Sunkara & Sowjanya Bavisetti 6-4, 6-3.

UNDER-18 BOYS: BR Nikshep bt Aryan Goveas 6-3, 2-6, 7-5; Doubles: Adil Kalyanpur & Parikshit Somani bt Param Pun & Paramveer Singh Bajwa 6-4, 6-3.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Zeel Desai bt Sathwika Sama 3-6, 6-3, 7-5; Doubles: Sathwika Sama & Shivani Ingle bt Prinkle Singh and Vaidehi Chaudhari 7-5, 1-6, 10-4.

BOYS UNDER-16: Nitin Kumar Sinha Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting trophies to Snehadevi Reddy & Dhruthi Venugopal, Womens Double (Winner), at Fenesta Open Nationals 2015

103

bt Parikshit Somani 6-3, 6-0; Doubles: Sivadeep Kosaraju & Rohit Krishna Aynampudi bt Suresh Dakshineshwar & Abhimanyu Vannem Reddy 7-6(4), 4-6, 10-8.

GIRLS UNDER-16: Sabhyata Nihalani bt Akanksha Bhan 7-5, 7-5; Doubles: Mahak Jain & Sabhyata Nihalani bt Sathwika Sama & Shivani Ingle 6-2, 6-0.

BOYS UNDER-14: Mann Maulik Shah bt Shashikant Rajput 6-1, 6-2; Doubles: Shashank Theertha & Rithvik Choudary w.o. Dev Javia & Kevin Mrugesh Patel.

GIRLS UNDER-14: Sanya Singh bt Salsa Aher 6-3, 6-1; Doubles: Anu Verma & Archita Mehalwal bt Salsa Aher & Trisha Vinod 6-2, 5-7, 10-6.

Winners & Runners-up U-16 of Fenesta Open Junior Nationals 2015- Shashikant Rajput, Mann Maulik Shah, Sanya Singh and Salsa Aher

104

Fenesta Tennis is one of the prestigious tournaments run by our state. It is one of the major events which gets

telecast and promote tennis players of our country. The tournament atmosphere is very positive and energetic

which motivates players to compete even better.

It is also the only AITA level tournaments which has good prize money. Because of Fenesta we get to see all age

groups talent and our emerging juniors. It has been very special for me to reach the women’s finals and winning

doubles titles. It gave me more confidence in myself to keep working hard and keep competing. Made me believe in

myself and I played my best tennis. I always look forward to this event.

SHWETA RANA

“

Winners & Runners-up U-14 of Fenesta Open Junior Nationals 2015- Parikshit Somani, Sabhyata Nihalani, Nitin Kumar Sinha and Akanksha Bhan

105

I was very closely associated with this

championship. I was 14 years old kid, when I

won the sub-junior national title, about 16 or 17

years ago. That was the initial start to my tennis

career. It gave the confidence to my parents and

my coach that tennis can be a career for me. For

a traditional South Indian family, it gave the

confidence and served as a good start for my

ambition to be a professional player.

Many years later in 2014, when I was

struggling with injury, lost my ranking, I won

the Nationals, and it gave me the assurance

and confidence. Reached top 400 rank in ATP.

Eventually, made the decision of moving to

doubles.Fenesta always a ‘go to’ tournament for

me.Very prestigious.Am happy that they are

celebrating 25 years of it.

It was always a starting point for me in my

career, titles at the national. I attached a lot of

importance to this tournament. Winning gave

the confidence to go out and try the international

circuit. Even now I tell all the juniors, to win the

Nationals, be the first in the country, before you

go out to the international circuit.

I still remember the times when we had

Dushan Deo as referee for juniors, started the

matches at 7 in the morning, and it used to go on

till 2 or 3 a.m. Open draw. Anyone could play the

nationals. Four or five days of qualification. It

was more like a celebration. Carnival of tennis.

Early memories.Spent the entire day at the

tennis court, watching my friends play. Every

court had a match going on. It was one centre that

had so many tennis courts.

We used to have coffee to stay awake. Really

good times.Am happy to think about it, right now.

Now, the conduct is very professional. Puneet

Gupta is one of the best referees in Asia. I am

talking about 15 years back, when the order of

play was not there. Dushan Deo, is no more.

May his soul rest in peace. Every single player

of that era would know him. ‘’Sir, my opponent

is not there. Which court,’’ comes to my mind. A

huge smile on my face.Now so professional, so

organised, so structured. I don’t have to ask . . .

Being a tennis player, takes the entire time. I

have got into being busy as a father. I have been

with ONGC since 2009, and am thankful for

the support. HR Manager in the organisation.

Brand Ambassador for tennishub.in, it is doing

exceptionally well in Indian market, since day

one. Contribute to the growth of this company.

Competing on the ATP circuit. I play some league

matches in Germany. I enjoy being part of the

team. Something different.

Pretty happy and satisfied with my tennis

career.Could have done many things differently.

Different road map. Got a chance to represent

the country in Davis Cup, won medal in Asian

Games, contribute to my school, University.

First job at the Railways, gold medal in world

event. My support team.Couldn’t have asked for

anything.Got to the Grand Slam.Did compete in

the London Olympics with Leander Paes, a great

honour.

Since the beginning, they celebrate tennis.

They are very passionate about it. They have

learnt so much over the years. Every year they

come up with huge collage of photos of previous

year. Players always want to be a part of that.

Small things like that lend a personal touch

to this event. It is organised at a level of ATP

Challenger, with tennis stalls, eateries etc. Very

professionally run by referee, Puneet Gupta,

“

106

especially in terms of the Order of Play.

During the qualifying of the sub-juniors, young

kids always had a chance to look up at the current

best, men’s players. and learn a lot. When I won

under-14, in my initial years of Shriram Nationals,

in the men’s final Rohan Bopanna lost to Vijay

Kannan. Bopanna was serving so big. The sound

of his serve was quite distinct. When I went back

home, I could not get it off my head. I told myself

that I need to have a serve like that. When I look

back at my tennis career, that was what I wanted.

The seed for my big serve was sown then.

But for the Fenesta Nationals, I would not

have got to see Rohan then. I still remember that

match. Rohan had such a big game. Vijay was

so crafty. Vijay won. We didn’t expect that to

happen. That showed us a different dimension of

the game.

There would be a day when I was part of the

Davis Cup team and Rohan would also be there.

If anyone had told me that in my young age, I

wouldn’t have believed. I know Rohan now as

a friend. Vijay Kannan is with me in ONGC. I

have learnt a lot from him, to remain calm and

composed. He is my teammate.

The Nationals has given a lot of memories.

Thank you for giving the opportunity to think

about it. Whenever I get a chance, I will play

the Nationals. I have always been in touch with

SN Chatterjee sir, the Tournament Director. He

always used to text me to confirm my availability.

Even if I couldn’t make it to Fenesta, he would still

be happy that I was playing somewhere else. He

retired some time back. Very closely associated.

If I could, I will play this year again. I don’t have a

singles ranking. Am very happy that the Shriram

group has completed 25 years. My best wishes to

them. Keep continuing this patronage for tennis,

for a long time.

VISHNU VARDHAN

I have played all the categories in this

tournament and it is always a fun time during

this tournament. It is always well managed

despite so many categories. We get umpires

from the first round in women’s which is great

and I guess that is what a player requires more

these days. Especially the crowd for the finals

is amazing. Overall, it is a really good national

tournament I have played till now.

Fenesta has always been an important

tournament for me and I always love to perform

in this tournament. It helped me in couple of

ways like, we get really good national points to

get our ranking high enough in our country and

it always provides good prize money which can

help a player cover up their expenses for some

more tournaments. My aim is to improve my

WTA rank, represent my country in Grand Slam,

Asian games, Olympics etc.

The organisers are doing a really nice job of

conducting this event for Indian tennis, and I

wish them success so that this tournament is

kept going, on and on. It is a very important event

for me, because winning every match takes me

forward in my tennis career.

ZEEL DESAI

“

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T WAS THE FOURTH national singles title for Vishnu Vardhan, the second on hard courts, while the 19-year-old Riya Bhatia clinched her maiden title.

Vishnu, who had already won three ITF men’s titles in the season, made it a point to compete in the national championship. He beat the wiry left-hander Siddharth Vishwakarma in the final, with his big serves and crisp volleys.

Riya who also had won an ITF women’s title in Egypt tamed Eetee Maheta in the final, after a tough semifinal against Sharrmadaa Baluu whom she beat 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(5) in three hours and 10 minutes. Riya recovered from being down 3-5 in the tie-break of the decider to march ahead.

Riya had fought past Nidhi Chilumula 6-7(7), 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.

2016

IVishnu Vardhan and Riya Bhatia make their mark

Winners & Runers-up: Siddharth Vishwakarma, Vishnu Vardhan, Riya Bhatia and Etee Maheta of Men’s & Women’s Singles Fenesta Open Nationals 2016

Winners of Fenesta Open Nationals 2016

108

Mr. Ajay S Shriram, Mr. Vikram S Shriram & Mr. Ajit Shriram welcoming Mr. Vijay Goel, Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs, Government of India at Fenesta Open Nationals 2016

Mr. Vijay Goel presenting trophy to S. Vishwakarma, Mens Singles (Runners-up) at Fenesta Open Nationals 2016

Mr. Vijay Goel presenting trophy to Riya Bhatia, Womens Singles (Winner) at Fenesta Open Nationals 2016

Mr. Ajay S Shriram and Mr. Vijay Goel presenting trophy and cheque to Vishnu Vardhan, Mens Singles (Winner) at Fenesta Open Nationals 2016

109

Eetee Maheta & Shweta Rana (Runners-up) Rishika Sunkara & Sowjanya Bavisetti (Winners), Womens Double 2016

Mr. Ajay Shriram and Mr. Anil Khanna with all winners of Fenesta Open Junior Nationals 2016

Nitin K. Sinha (Winner) Akansha Bhan (Winner) Humera Shaik (Runners-up) Dhruv Sunish (Runners-up), Girls & Boys Singles (U-18) 2016

110

‘’I owe it to my coach CV Nagaraj, trainer Mohammed Abdul Latheef and my wife Sonia’’, said Vishnu, who works with the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

It was some commitment from a player who was so engrossed in the international circuit, and was proceeding to the $125,000 Challenger in Tashkent immediately after the national championship.

Nitn Kumar Sinha and Akanksha Bhan were quite strong in winning the under-18 boys and girls titles respectively, by beating Dhruv Sunish and Humera Shaik. Nitin won the doubles title as well with BR Nikshep.

The 6’3’’ Suresh Dhakshineswar won the under-16 boys title, with a hard fought 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(1) victory over Siddhant Banthia. The latter won the doubles title with Megh Bhargav Patel.

Salsa Aher took a firm step forward with her fluent left-hand game with the under-16 girls title.

Ajay Malik with his rough background in setting up a court in Haryana for training fetched a lot of attention on way to the under-14 boys title, while Sarah Dev battled in a three-setter with Sharannya Gaware for the under-14 girls title.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Vishnu Vardhan bt Siddharth Vishwakarma 6-3, 6-4; Doubles: Kunal Anand & Anvit Bendre bt Paramveer Singh Bajwa & Param Pun 7-5, 6-4.

Women: Riya Bhatia bt Eetee Maheta 7-6(7), 6-3; Doubles: Rishika Sunkara & Sowjanya Bavisetti bt Eetee Maheta & Shweta Rana 4-6, 6-1, 10-7.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Nitin Kumar Sinha bt Dhruv

Sunish 6-3, 6-4; Doubles: BR Nikshep & Nitin Kumar Sinha bt Dhruv Sunish & Ishaque Eqbal 6-4, 6-3.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Akanksha Bhan bt Humera Shaik 6-0, 6-2; Doubles: Doubles (final): Sravya Shivani & Tanisha Kashyap bt Sabhyata Nihalani & Yubarani Banerjee 6-1, 7-6(5).

UNDER-16 BOYS: Suresh Dhakshineswar bt Siddhant Banthia 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(1); Doubles: Megh Bhargav Patel & Siddhant Banthia bt Rohit Aynampudi & Suresh Dhakshineswar 6-2, 6-2.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Salsa Aher bt Prinkle Singh 6-2, 6-0; Doubles: Vaidehi Chaudhari & Yubarani Banerjee bt Sai Dedeepya & Salsa Aher 2-6, 6-2, 14-12.

UNDER-14 BOYS: Ajay Malik bt VM Sandeep 6-4, 6-4; Doubles: Dev Javia & VM Sandeep bt Jaishvin Singh Sidana & Aaryan Zaveri 0-6, 6-4, 10-6.

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Sarah Dev bt Sharannya Gaware 6-1, 4-6, 6-3; Doubles: Malikaa Marathe & Sandeepti Singh Rao bt Mushrath Anjum Shaik & Srujana Rayarala 2-6, 6-1, 10-8.

111

MAHAK JAIN STOLE THE show, as the 16-year-old won the women’s title. Quite appropriately the gymnastics heroine from the Rio Olympics Dipa Karmakar felicitated her with the trophy. Quite small, Mahak may easily pass off as a gymnast, but put her on a tennis court, she can make it hard for the best of players to counter her sharp game.

‘’I was confident’’ said Mahak, after winning the title, beating the favourite and top seed Zeel Desai 7-5, 6-3 in the final. Zeel had beaten Mahak in the international circuit, but had lost to her as well.

‘’It was the first time I watched a tennis match. It felt very good. Keep working hard’’, said Dipa, who had narrowly missed the Olympic medal in Rio in 2016.

Mahak did not drop a set in any of the earlier rounds against Tanisha Kashyap, second seed Sai Samhitha, former Asian junior champion Snehadevi Reddy and Sathwika Sama.

Dalwinder Singh beat top seed and fellow trainee from the Harvest Academy SurajPrabodh 6-3, 6-4 in the final. It was a dream come true for Dalwinder, who has been struggling to put together his big game for meaningful results to take his tennis career forward.

It was an unbelievable result for Dalwinder who had started in the tournament, losing the first set at love against lucky loser Paras Dahiya. He also had to overcome a tough battle on losing the first set against Nitin Kumar Sinha.

Haadin Bava, seeded second, had a string of good wins against Aryan Goveas, Jayesh Pungliya and Arjun Kadhe, but lost in straight sets to Dalwinder. Bava did win the doubles title with Aryan Goveas, beating the theSood twins, Chandril and Lakshit.

SurajPrabodh beat some tough players like Nitin Kirtane and Manish Suresh

2017Dalwinder Singh and Mahak Jain create a wave

M

112

DALWINDER SINGH

It was a great feeling to win the Fenesta National

championship. I will try to win it again. I will

also play the ITF circuit and do better. There are

no tournaments in India. Hard to build on your

international ranking. I had reached up to 700 in the

world. When we go out to compete, it is not easy to

win. It takes time.

The National championship, I was determined to

win. My family was very happy. I was perhaps the first

player from Punjab to win the title. The owner of the

Harvest Tennis Academy, Harvinder Singh Saran, was

happy that I became the national champion. I had

learnt all my tennis at the academy from a young age.

I have been playing there from the time I was 13.

Everything was given to me. I have not spent one

rupee for my tennis. Racquets, shoes and everything.

Tennis is a very expensive game. I never thought that

I would win the national championship one day. I feel

that I have achieved something with my tennis.

We have to play a lot of international tournaments

to get better. No point playing the domestic

tournaments, it does not help to improve the standard.

From the academy, me, Suraj Prabodh, Harvinder

Singh and Jatin Dahiya will travel for tournaments.

In ITF events, everyone is a good player. you need

to be mentally strong to win matches. If you drop

serve once, it may be difficult to get back into that set.

I have got a job with the Navy. They have told me

to just play tennis. Suraj was already there. We have to

play their tournament once a year.

We can improve by playing more tournaments

and against different players. I have studied up to 12th

standard in a government school. Will try to complete

graduation. Fenesta National is the best tournament

in India. I am grateful to the organisers for supporting

tennis so well.

Ms. Dipa Karmarkar (Indian Gymnast) with winners of Fenesta Open Nationals 2017

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Kumar, but things did not work for him in the final, against the explosive game of Dalwinder.

The talented and free-stroking Sacchitt Sharma and Vaidehi Chaudhari won the under-18 boys and girls titles respectively.

Tanisha Kashyap won the under-18 doubles title with Sravya Shivani and the under-16 singles title. Mann Maulik Shah stepped it up to add the under-16 title to his collection. Ajay Malik had to be content with the under-14 title. Sandeepti Singh Rao was quite bubbly in marching to the girls under-14 trophy.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)

Men: Dalwinder Singh bt Suraj Prabodh 6-3, 6-4; Doubles: Aryan Goveas & Haadin Bava bt Chandril Sood & Lakshit Sood 6-4, 6-4.

Women: Mahak Jain bt Zeel Desai 7-5, 6-3; Doubles: Shweta Rana & Snehadevi Reddy bt Sai Dedeepya & Sara Yadav 6-3, 6-3.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Sacchitt Sharma bt Dhruv Sunish 6-3, 6-4; Doubles: Siddhant Banthia & Megh Bhargav Patel bt Atharva Sharma & Dhruv Sunish 6-2, 1-6, 10-6.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Vaidehi Chaudhari bt

Mr. Ajit S Shriram presenting Cheque to Zeel Desai, Womens Singles (Runners-up) Fenesta Open Nationals 2017 with Ms. Dipa Karmarkar (Indian Gymnast) and Mrs. Praveen Mahajan, AITA

114

Ms. Dipa Karmarkar (Indian Gymnast), presenting trophy to Mahak Jain, Womens Singles (winner) Fenesta Open Nationals 2017

Ms. Dipa Karmarkar (Indian Gymnast) presenting trophies to Dedeepya Y. Sai & Sara Yadav, Womens Double (Runners up) Fenesta Open Nationals 2017

Mr. Narender Kumar, DLTA giving trophy to Siddhant Bathia and Megh Bhargav Patel (Winners) Boys Under -18 Doubles Fenesta Open Nationals 2017

115

Akanksha Bhan 6-3, 6-0; Doubles: Tanisha Kashyap & Sravya Shivani bt Akanksha Bhan & Vaidehi Chaudhari 6-3, 7-5.

UNDER-16 BOYS: Mann Maulik Shah bt Kevin Mrugesh Patel 6-2, 6-2; Doubles: Rithvik Choudary & Dev Javia bt Sarthak Suden & Dhruv Tangri 6-3, 6-4.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Tanisha Kashyap bt Prinkle Singh 6-1, 6-4; Doubles: Kaavya Sawhney & Prinkle Singh bt Tanisha Kashyap & Prerna Vichare 0-6, 7-5, 10-4.

UNDER-14 BOYS: Ajay Malik bt Krishan Hooda 7-5, 4-6, 6-2; Doubles: Chirag Duhan & Kartik Saxena bt Arjun Kundu & Dhanya Shah 6-0, 1-6, 10-5.

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Sandeepti Singh Rao bt Rutuja Chaphalkar 6-1, 6-1; Doubles: Mushrath Anjum Shaik & Srujana Rayarala bt Rutuja Chaphalkar & Naisha Srivastav 6-2, 6-1.

When I was the National titles first time, I was

very happy. It is the most prestigious tournament

of the year. Winning it the second time, and

defending the title was great. Beating four-time

champion Prerna Bhambri in a tough match, in

the semifinals last year, was satisfying.

I like the whole environment with so many

people. Very good to have all the players around,

coming from all over the country.

I am trying to play the international

tournaments, to take my tennis career forward. I

have Board exams. I need to focus on that also.

Am glad that the international circuit has

changed the rule back to award WTA points for

ITF entry level tournaments. It is much better

now. We will have more tournaments to play. I

am focused on getting better physically. I am sure

we will get better by playing more tournaments.

We need to play at least 20 tournaments a

year. Need to make the best of every tournament

we play.

We decided to stop competing in the juniors,

even though it was a goal early in one’s career.

You have to move on, as eventually you have to

compete against the women.

I am working on my serve and foot work.

Trained and competed in the US this season

to be better prepared. Played a $30,000 USTA

tournament and won it.

The Fenesta people have been organising

really well. I love the environment. It is great that

I won women’s singles two years. Will try to play

and win again, as it is the best tournament in the

Indian tennis season.

MAHAK JAIN

“

Mr. Rupinder Pal Singh (Indian Hockey Player) presenting trophy to Ajay Malik, Boys Under-14 (Winner) Fenesta Open Nationals 2017

116

Mr. Rupinder Pal Singh (Indian Hockey Player) and Mr. Ajay S Shriram with all winners of Fenesta Open Junior Nationals 2017

Mr. Rupinder Pal Singh (Indian Hockey Player) presenting trophy to Mann Maulik Shah, Boys Under-16 (Winner) Fenesta Open Nationals 2017

Sacchit Sharma and Vaidehi Chaudhari winners of Under-18 Fenesta Open Nationals 2017

117

SURAJ PRABODH

Needless to remark that

the Fenesta is the biggest

hardcourt tournament. Thus,

it automatically lifts the spirit

to such an extent that one can

clearly say it is much superior

to other tournaments in the

country.

Through the years of my

participation in it, I have had

mixed results. Finishing runner-

up to my friend and fellow

trainee at the Harvest Academy

in Ludhiana, Dalwinder Singh,

was my best result. I have beaten

him in other tournaments, but

could not do so in the national

championship. I fondly cherish

the very participation in all the

years, regardless of the results.

With all humility and

fulfilment, I wish to thank the

esteemed organisers and the

sponsors for giving us a splendid

opportunity to get exposed to

such a high level tournament

at least once in a year on

sustained basis for so many

years. Undoubtedly, Fenesta

tournament has been highly

successful in bringing out the

best out of Indian players and

I hope it continues to evolve

further with the passage of time.

Lakshit Sood, Chandril Sood, Mens Doubles (Runners-up) & Bava Haadin Mens Double (Winner) 2017

Mr. Rupinder Pal Singh (Indian Hockey Player) presenting trophy to Sandeepti Singh Rao, Girsl Under-14 (Winner) Fenesta Open Nationals 2017

118

T WAS MAHAK JAIN WHO became the women’s champion once again. The 17-year-old girl from Indore, trained by coach Sajid Lodi, made it doubly sweet by winning the women’s doubles title as well, with her friend Sathwika Sama.Despite a small frame and limitations of reach and power, Mahak dominated the show. The only time she was tested fully was when she played the four-time champion Prerna Bhambri in the semifinals. Mahak prevailed 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3.In the final, Mahak outplayed Natasha Palha, who had done the hard work to beat top seed Zeel Desai 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in her semifinal. Natasha had earlier pipped Ramya Natarajan 6-2, 5-7, 7-6(2) in the quarterfinals, after getting past Kaavya Sawhney and Sai Samhitha.

Tall and wiry left-hander, the unseeded Siddharth Vishwakarma handled the

2018

ISiddharth Vishwakarma and Mahak Jain claim the title

Mr. Ajay S Shriram presenting cheque to Mahak Jain, Womens Single (Winner), Fenesta Open Nationals 2018 along with Mr. Sardar Singh (Indian Hockey Player), AITA and DLTA officials

Mr. Sardar Singh (Indian Hockey Player) presenting trophy to Siddharth Vishwakarma, Mens Singles (Winner), Fenesta Open Nationals 2018

119

The atmosphere of the tournament since the beginning has been electrifying. I remember playing the tournament

as a junior. The long draws of the tournament were a very welcome challenge for all the players and everyone

looked forward to playing the tournament for months in advance.

I remember the training we used to put in, in the weeks leading up to the tournament.

One of the first fondest memories of the tournament is of me and Yuki playing the doubles under-14.

Prerna and Yuki had played a few mixed doubles tournaments together but this was the first time we played as a

team. We actually ended up winning the title. It was a fun week for both of us playing and competing together.

With DSCL being the biggest tournament in the calendar for the players, performing well in it is a goal and wish

for everyone competing on the circuit.

I still clearly remember the week I won the under-16 Title. It was a very strong draw with a lot of tough matches

right from the first round. I played a couple of long three setters to get to the final where I was to play my friend

Shiva Sangwan. We had always played tight matches against each other and no one expected anything different.

It was my first singles finals at the event, though I had taken the doubles title before. I went on court, all guns

blazing and played one of the shortest finals ever, finishing 6-2,6-0. It was probably one of the best matches I have

played as a young kid .

The win gave immense boost to my confidence in my own ability, which led to me playing some very good

matches on the ITF men’s tour in the weeks post my win on the DLTA courts.

I have been coaching for the last seven years now and I must say I really enjoy it.

I believe sports is a way of life and not just a part of it, and tennis has made me who I am today. I got into coaching

to give back to the sport that has given me so many amazing experiences .

Incidentally, Fenesta was my first tournament as a coach. It was around the time I had just started working with

Prerna and a few more kids. It has been an amazing ride since then. To see the kids you are working with come up

and win the most prestigious National tournament of the year is extremely satisfying to say the least. It gives you

the affirmation you need to work even harder with them.

I travel a lot for tournaments all over the world, but I still try and make it a point to be in Delhi during the week of

Fenesta Nationals to witness the tournament in all its glory.

I believe in the holistic development of the player into a better human being and not just their ability to perform

on the court. As a coach you are not just taking care of the performance when they play but are also their mentor.

Hence, you are entrusted with the task of guiding them in the right direction in life.

To create the biggest Indian tennis tournament and to continue to sustain the same level of enthusiasm for it,

takes a massive amount of dedication and to make it a point to be at the prize ceremony in support of the players.

The whole Indian Tennis community is indeed indebted to the Shriram family for giving an event of this scale,

to celebrate the game every year. Everyone wants to be a part of this gala. Every player of the country aspires to

compete and win this mega event. I really hope they continue their support for the tennis fraternity and we surely

will see better results from Indian players in the years to come.

PRATEEK BHAMBRI

“

120

Mr. Sardar Singh (Indian Hockey Player) presenting trophy to Arjun Khade, Mens Singles (Runners-up), Fenesta Open Nationals 2018

Mr. Ajay S Shriram, Mr. Sardar Singh (Indian Hockey Player) and AITA officials with Mens, Womens & U-18 winners of Fenesta Open Nationals 2018

Mr. Sardar Singh (Indian Hockey Player) with winners of Womens & Girls U-18 Fenesta Open Nationals 2018

Mr. Ramandeep Singh (Indian Hockey Player) with all the winners of Junior Fenesta Open Nationals 2018

121

final well against top seed Arjun Kadhe, despite a bout of cramps. It was destiny denying Arjun once again, as he missed a breakpoint in the ninth game, as his string broke. Arjun did rally despite the broken string with all the craft he could muster but Siddharth kept his cool to save that breakpoint. He served out the match in style with an ace.

‘’It was a lucky point for me’’, Siddharth recalled. ‘’I had hardly played tennis for the past eight months as I was ill’’, said Siddharth.

Siddharth’s coach Kamlesh Shukla had done a good job in preparing him for the national championship. He had ebaten PC Vignesh, SD Prajwal Dev, Manish Suresh Kumar and Nitin Kumar Sinha on way to the final.

Arjun had come through a tough semifinal against Sidharth Rawat 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-2 after cruising that far past Kunal Anand, Yugal Bansal and Ishaque Eqbal. Siddhant Banthia and Humera Shaik won the under-18 boys and girls titles respectively. It was a double crown for Banthia as he won the doubles title with Megh Bhargav Patel.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)Men: Siddharth Vishwakarma bt Arjun Kadhe 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-3; Doubles: Parikshit Somani & Suresh Dhakshineswar bt Kaza Vinayak Sharma & Mohit Mayur 6-4, 6-4.

Women: Mahak Jain bt Natasha Palha 6-1, 6-2; Doubles: Mahak Jain & Sathwika Sama bt Humera Shaik & Sara Yadav 6-3, 6-3.

UNDER-18 BOYS: Siddhant Banthia bt Calvin Golmei 7-6(0), 6-2; Doubles: Siddhant Banthia & Megh Bhargav Patel bt Madhwin Kamath & Dev

Javia 6-3, 6-2.

UNDER-18 GIRLS: Humera Shaik bt Rashmikaa Shrivalli Bhamidipaty 6-2, 6-4; Doubles: Salsa Aher & Kaavya Sawhney bt Bhakti Shah & Sunskrithi Damera 6-1, 2-6, [10-4].

UNDER-16 BOYS: Krish Patel bt Denim Yadav 6-0, 6-1; Doubles: Divesh Gehlot & Sushant Dabas bt Denim Yadav & Aryaan Bhatia 6-2, 6-1.

UNDER-16 GIRLS: Gargi Pawar bt Vipasha Mehra 6-4, 6-3; Doubles: Rutuja Chaphalkar & Sudipta Senthilkumar bt Srujana Rayarala & Sunskriti Damera 6-0, 6-1.

UNDER-14 BOYS: Udit Gogoi bt AmanDahiya 6-1, 6-4; Doubles: Deep Munim & Ananth Mani Muni bt Yuvan Nandal & Anargha Ganguly 6-3, 7-5.

UNDER-14 GIRLS: Renee Singh bt VaishnaviAdkar 7-5, 6-2; Doubles: Harshali Mandavkar & Vaishnavi Adkar bt Kundana Bandaru & Radhika Mahajan 6-4, 6-1.

Mr. Sardar Singh (Indian Hockey player) presenting trophy to Natasha Palha, Womens Singles (Runners-up), Fenesta Open Nationals 2018

122

Mr. Ramandeep Singh (Indian Hockey Player) with the U-16 winners Gargi Pawar and Krish Patel

Mr. Ramandeep Singh (Indian Hockey Player) with the winners and runners-up Gargi Pawar, Udit Gogoi, Renee Singh and Krish Patel at the Fenesta Open Junior Nationals 2018

ARJUN KADHE

The experience of playing the

Fenesta Nationals has been great.

I have always done well. I have

been playing this from under-14.

I have won under-14, 16 and 18. I

have played men’s national four

times. I have lost three finals.

Went to college in the US four

years. In 2012, I was runner-up. I

have won doubles. I have great

memories of the tournament.

I think it is one of the most

prestigious tournaments in

India. The sponsors have been

the same. The arrangements

have been great. This is one

tournament everyone is looking

forward to in the year, from

juniors to men. It is really an

iconic tournament to win.

The players have been

playing this for 25 years. So

many great players who have

won this tournament and done

well in the ATP Tour. It makes

it so much special that I have

won it in the juniors. I have tried

to win the men’s but have not

been successful so far, despite

reaching three finals. It is a great

tournament. It is a great journey

to play and be a part of this event

over the years.

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They said it...

PRAJNESH GUNNESWARAN

My memory of competing in the Nationals. It was one of the biggest nationals, at least in my mind, most prestigious.

I felt the DSCL Shriram, Fenesta nationals happened to be more important in my head. All the best players played

it at that time. All the best players, including the men players I played it from 14 to 18. Four or five years in a row I

played.

For me, it brings back happy memories. I did well in 14, 16, 18. Won the juniors and made men’s final. It was big

deal for me. Took me on the path where I am.

Gave me a belief that I could beat players whom I felt were better than me at that time. It gave me the belief

that I can overcome the hurdles and go further. I used to train at HPTC at that time. We used to travel with Balu (M

Balachandran) sir, Jonathan Stubbs. We always had a big group of people. It was a fun tournament for me, for sure.

The association with tennis for more than 25 years. That is definitely commendable. To do it for so long. To stick

to the game this strong, and this long. It shows their love for the sport. We should appreciate their effort in hosting

the tournament, year after year, for so many years, and looking good for many more.

It was very good experience, and winning titles was a motivating factor. With very few tournaments back in the day,

winning DCM Shriram event was an important milestone in my career. I am happy I was able to build upon those

initial successes in juniors. It motivated to work harder on my game.

With due respect to the organisers and their hard work, the DCM Shriram which was elevated to the National

status later, was at a nascent stage. It was a mammoth exercise for organisers. Without the convenience of internet,

managing the tournament schedule was a very big challeng.

I am coaching a group pf players at the DLTA stadium. I have also been a captain and coach for Indian Fed Cup

senior team apart from being a coach of various Indian junior teams. Coming from a tennis family, I am very happy

to be where I am. It is a very nice event, but please have a cut off deadline in the schedule of qualifying matches like

9 or 10 p.m. They have done a marvellous job by keeping the Nationals alive. I wish the DCM Shriram Group all the

very best for successful conduct of the tournament for many more years.

SHALINI THAKUR CHAWLA

“

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I still strongly remember when I travelled to Shriram Nationals way back in 1993

which was the first edition I suppose with three of my trainees. It was a festival and

I was amazed to see the arrangements. There was lunch for all players, coaches.

A nice party on the lawns of DLTA one evening and the whole place had a festive

atmosphere. Never had I seen so many players in one place. I could see kids

making new friends, coaches discussing ways to improve knowledge, parents

understanding what tennis was all about. This was the only event in the country

where we could see tennis being one family!

The impact of the event has been really huge. It has provided a platform for all

players to come under one umbrella and compete. An opportunity for the better

players to make a better impact and the others to compete against them and

improve. These two weeks always gave a fantastic opportunity for the coaches to

get to know each other and exchange ideas. This was de facto the numerouno event

on the Indian tennis calendar. Every player had this dream of being the National

champion here. One became a star after winning it. Especially I liked the fact that it

gave all the juniors, 16 and below to watch the semis and finals of men and women.

It was always inspirational to the young players and a motivation for the senior

players. Overall, Shriram and Fenesta has been like a national tennis festival and

one which is keenly awaited by all.

The other good thing is the interaction that happens in this event between

legendary players, young players, coaches and parents. I remember sometime

during 2002 or so, when the organisers brought Leander Paes. I was fortunate to be

a part of that. There was a huge participation and I am sure it must have helped a

few hundred players listening to the legend. The DSCL group has to be commended

for their commitment to Indian tennis through this event. I am not sure if i know

any other corporate who have such a long standing association with a sport. They

have been making champions for 25 glorious years and uplifting Indian tennis.

It is a great feeling to see the way this event is organised with so much passion

and dedication by the whole team of DSCL, year after year. The fact that the top

brass of the group are religiously present for the prize distribution shows the

commitment of this great organisation. I hope they continue to be a part of the

Indian Tennis for many more years to come and also wish this event attains greater

stature. My profuse thanks to DCM Shriram for their commitment to Indian tennis

and the event. Hope to see this growing in stature!

SUNIL YAJAMAN

“They said it...

NIRUPAMA SANJEEV

I think I played it

one year. It could

have been 1993, 95

or 96 am not sure.

I feel Nationals and

the Indian domestic

circuit including State

ranking tournaments

really helped my

tennis where we

could compete in

many events. I know

I won 95, Bangalore,

94 Chandigarh, 91

Hyderabad, 92 Delhi

maybe. It is fantastic

when there are

organisers who have

held up this tradition

for so many years.

Playing the Nationals

in India was a matter

of pride for all of us

and I was keen to take

full advantage of it.

The prize money also

helped me fund for

other tournaments.

126

The first memory I have of the Fenesta Nationals is watching the finals in 2001 with my dad. The sheer volume of

players descending on the Captial for the tournament has always been a site to behold. The open draws encouraged

everyone to prioritise this event as the most important one in the year. Coaches, parents, and entire entourages

would come with the players and it had a great feel to be at the venue during the fortnight.

As a junior, it allowed me to get an idea of how much I needed to improve my game to take it to the next level. The

open men’s draw was always a big motivation for me to do well and gave me a glimpse into the men’s game from an

early age. Seeing players and coaches from across the country made me realise the competition out there within the

country and pushed me to work harder.

The organisers have been simply outstanding. Their unwavering support through the years is something a lot of

associations and federations across the world can learn from. They have adapted with the times and this is evident

from the way they increased prize money along with the boom of international events around the country. They

do their best to ensure that the event remains as relevant as the times allow it. We players are very grateful for that.

I really do hope they continue to host the event for many years to come as it is a dream for most juniors to win this

event. During the late 1990’s and early 2000’s it was the biggest non-ATP event in India and the strength of the field

reflected the respect players had for the prestige of winning the tournament.

With the recent changes to the ITF/ ATP world tour rules, it is an opportunity for the Fenesta Nationals to retake

this honour by adding more incentive to the tag of national champion and it would be heartwarming to see them

grasp this opportunity.

KARUNUDAY SINGH

“

RISHIKA SUNKARA

The Fenesta Open National tournament, earlier known as the DSCL Nationals has always been the most prestigious

tournament in India. I have memories of participating in this tournament since I was 12 years old, starting from

under-14 category all the way to the women’s category. It is the only tournament in India which covers all the age

groups and it always feels like a huge tennis festival. I always look forward to playing in such an atmosphere.

I have so many memories with the nationals over the years. My first title was the under-14 doubles titles with

Divija Mandava. I lost in the finals of women’s singles in the year 2012 against Prena Bhambri in a very close match. I

also have two women’s doubles titles, one with Sharmada Balu and the other with Sowjanya Bavisetti.

I would really like to thank the organisers and sponsors for giving us the opportunity since 25 years to compete

amongst the best in the country and a platform to recognise our talent. I hope it gets better and bigger every year!

It would be great if they can organise better food facilities for the players at the venue.

127

It was one fine evening I was at Mr. Shriram’s house, having tea, since Aditya was training with me.

We had a talk and Mr. Ajay Shriram ji expressed: ‘’Kawaljeet ji, do let me know if I can do something for tennis’’.

I said may be a good tournament, as in those days we hardly had many tournaments. This over crowded junior

circuit did not exist then. The DSCL was born.

If I am not wrong, I was the first tournament referee. We had huge entries, close to 700. Next year it went up close

to 900/1000. I remember how we made the draws very late at night along with Nar Singh and Vinod Kumar. People

were waiting in the lawns of DLTA, where there is a swimming pool now.

Oh, what memories we have. Since i was head coach of DLTA at that time, we had good players to train and the

total involvement of talented players, parents was great. I am in touch with all the families, most players even now.

Sunil kumar was not in the scene then in 1993. I had no idea that after a few years this boy would shine from this

very tournament.

Words fail me to express the crowd we had. It was like a Grand Slam of Indian circuit. It used to be the dream

tournament of every player and winning it was like winning a Grand Slam.

When I moved to Chandigarh in 1994, I had only one goal. I wanted my players to win DSCL I had a good time,

coaching in DLTA but Punwire in Chandigarh gave me a free hand to coach, plan and travel without any hesitation

in the Indian circuit.

In 1999, I can never forget, how this tournament changed my profile. Sunil Kumar playing from the qualifying

event won the National men’s title. Akshay Vishal Rao won the under-18 singles title. Amanjot Singh won the

under-16 singles, Shruti Dhawan won the doubles, Saurabh Singh won the doubles. I think God was very kind to

me and this tournament will always remain the best tournament of my life. Enjoyed every moment and the media

covered it so well.

The other best part we remember was the involvement of dedicated parents with the tournament, GD Rao, Mr.

Vatsal, Mr. Bhattacharya, Mr. Shetty. Oh, it was fun as their children played tennis along with Aditya Shriram, all

used to participate to make the tournament a great success. It is missing now, no families are involved The bond

is missing. With time lot of changes have come. I must say it is not that enjoyable as it was before. With restricted

entries for less hardship to the referee and I understand there are problems in organising especially when matches

are extended and go late night. I remember matches very late at night, my son Garry played around 12.45 am in

2006. It is always a desire to be there during the National finals, but some time I wish we can travel in the Time

Machine to those golden days.

I think we should be grateful to Shriram ji and his family for continuing this great tournament. I had very good

time training Aditya and travelled to US when he was 12. We went to the Hopmancentre in Saddlebrook, in Florida. I

have fond memories of being with Vishal and Aditya.

KAWALJEET SINGH

“

They said it...

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LIZA VIPLAV

The Shriram open tournament, as I remember it, was the most important tournament of the year, attracting players

of all levels, from all over India. I remember the total number of players even exceeded 1000 entries and eventually

had to be split over two weeks, one for the juniors and one for the seniors.

The tournament created a platform for aspiring players and gave us instant recognition. I have played this

tournament every year since 1996 till I retired as a player in 2005. I had the privilege of winning this tournament

several times in singles as well as doubles. I signed my first major contract with Yonex after winning my first Shriram

tournament and it was a turning point in my career, putting me on the road to winning many ITF tournaments.

The DLTA and AITA office located in the venue itself ensured an instant connection with the Association.

I couldn’t have been happier with my success as a junior but definitely could have done better in the women’s. As

a coach I continue to be connected to the game teaching a few youngsters in my academy situated in Florida.

It is extremely selfless to be able to dedicate your life to the betterment of tennis. As the game has grown more

competitive, so has the pressure of running office and I applaud the organisers for continuing to stand ground and

focus on what matters and that is the growth of tennis.

My immediate memories of the tournament are the grass courts, friendly people from Shriram group and a good

bunch of players coming together in Delhi.

They kept improving the tournament as in the number of participants went up along with the prize money. This

helped other tournaments also to scale up and have a similar event.

As this was the Nationals on hard court with good prize money, other Nationals had to get closer to DSCL

Nationals. Sponsors staying after 25 years, is true support to Indian tennis. If we had more sponsors like Shriram

group, Indian tennis circuit would be in a much better shape. My special appreciation and thanks to Mr. Ajay Sriram

for his support and encouragement to all the tennis players, who have gained from the event, for more than 25

years.

The AITA has to honour him for this selfless contribution and perhaps ensure best participation from the

players, as a mark of recognition to the contribution from the Shriram group.

Over the years, apart from playing, I have traveled to Fenesta/DSCL Nationals as coach with Nitin Kirtane, Saurav

Panja, Jaydeep Shetty, Ajay Ramaswami, RohanSaikia, Radhika Tulpule, Parija Maloo, Prajnesh Gunneswaran,

Akash Gujrathi, Akash Wagh, Kyra Shroff, Christopher Marquis, Aiswarya Srivastava etc.

M BALACHANDRAN

“

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Firstly I want to thank the sponsors for doing such a great job with the continuity of the tournament !

Initially it was called DCM Shriram Open and now it is Fenesta Nationals. Every player in india looks forward to

participate and perform in this tournament as it has so much prestige attached to it.

Every Indian tennis player would probably dream to have the trophy. I still regret not having one though I have

the runners-up trophy!

During DCM Shriram Open there were no restrictions on entries and I remember the matches being played until

12 midnight. I once played three matches in one day since I was playing two events. Before the third match of the

day, I actually had dinner and slept on one of the sofas. Then, my mother woke me up at midnight to play the match!

It used to be fun as all friends got together and would be running around and playing other games too apart

from tennis. At least, my group of friends did! One really has to appreciate the sponsors who have continuously

supported the event for 25 years, I think this must be the only tournament in india which is supported by the same

sponsor for such a long time. I would love to see the tournament going back to its old format where entry is not

restricted to ranking. It was like how all of India comes together to celebrate a festival, it was like a tennis/sports

festival because it got all of us together.

ANKITA RAINA

“

TODD CLARK

I first attended the DCM Shriram Fenesta in 2010. I remember bringing a team of players to the even It was THE

EVENT. I say THE EVENT as the Fenesta Nationals has always been THE premier tournament in India.

I have been lucky enough to work with talented players who have gone on to win both singles and doubles titles

at this event, all of whom rate winning this title as one of the top highlights of their career.

The impact of performing well at the Fenesta Nationals cannot be denied. Many players who have performed

well in this event have gone on to compete at higher levels both as a professional or as a US College student.

I became aware that the tournament sponsors DCM Shriram have been supporting this event for more than 25

years. One cannot imagine the Indian tennis circuit without this event. DCM Shriram group, I cannot thank you

enough for providing Indian tennis players a truly world class event and the opportunity to pursue their dreams.

Without your continued support this would not be possible. Krish Patel won the under-16 title in 2018. It was his

first national singles title. Megh Patel won the under-18 boys doubles title, partnering Siddhant Banthia last year.

Together they have three Fenesta doubles titles. Zeel Desai was women’s runner-up in 2017, and under-18 singles

winner in 2015. Zeel has gone on to the ITF women’s circuit. Shweta Rana women’s runner-up in 2013, got to a career

high ITF women’s rank of 527. Hardeep Sandhu won the under-18 boys title in 2013. I am sure many more players

will capitalise on this tournament, to give their tennis career a strong foundation.

They said it...

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SANJAY PODDAR

It was an unbelievable experience when I first came to Shriram Open in the late 1990s. It was like a carnival. I

still remember the time when my nephew, Harshit Sharma, qualified for main draw and got his Shriram open T

Shirt. The first thing he told me was that he got the Shriram open T-shirt as if he had captured the whole world.

There, I realised the importance of the tournament. Then, of course Karan Rastogi winning the, age group events

of the Shriram Open was like the cherry on cake, for me as a coach. I personally feel it was the most important

tournament for every budding Indian tennis player.

A player had to win 3-4 rounds to qualify for the main draw. It used to be like a carnival with a purpose for

everybody right from the players, parents , coaches, referee, umpires, ground staff and organisers. The organisers

have played a great role in promoting Indian tennis in a very professional manner over the years.

I will remain grateful, as a coach, to Fenesta Open organisers for continuously taking the huge responsibility for

promoting Indian tennis in a friendly and efficient manner.

From my Junior under-14 days, I have come to Fenesta and played every time. I like this tournament because I won the under-14, a number of doubles title in under-16 and was the singles champion in under-18. My best in Women’s event was being the doubles winner in 2014 and singles runners up in 2015. It is always a privilege to play in the Fenesta Nationals . It is well conducted but some time matches go late into the night. It is one my favourite tournaments in India . I have so many good memories of me playing good tennis in Fenesta . It’s the biggest tournament in India with good prize money. Organising the Nationals for so many years is not easy and they have continued to do it every year. That is great and I really appreciate it .But my only concern is, they need to increase the prize money from pre-quarterfinals. There is always a huge prize money difference between the finalists and the rest. The semifinalists get so less money in comparison. They may please do something about this. SAI SAMHITHA

First of all hats off to the DCM Shriram /Fenesta championships which is now into its 25th edition. It would be very difficult to find a parallel to that in Indian sport. For me the event holds a very special place in my heart as two generations of my family (my daughter Namita and myself) have come here and won titles and have come back as coaches and watched our respective students win titles. It speaks volumes for the support that the house of Shrirams have given to the event, the AITA and the game of tennis. This is one event in which every Indian tennis player, male or female, wants to make a mark. Winning this event is almost a stamp to say that you are ready to represent the country at the highest level. All the very best to the tournament, the sponsors and kudos to AITA for having kept this relationship with the DCM Shriram group alive and kicking for this long. NANDAN BAL

“ “

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PUNNA VISHAL

It was one of the best feeling for me, when I won the men’s title. I had always wanted to win the tournament as a

junior but it finally happened in the men’s event . It was very important for me, as I think, it was one of the wins

which AITA considered, for me to play Davis Cup. The title was a ticket to represent the country.

I think I came to play the tournament way back in 1993 or 94. It was amazing to see the number of players who

came to play the tournament. From that time, I always wanted to win this tournament.

I am into information technology as a career. I think I did the best with my tennis career. Maybe, it could have

been better, with a little more support.

The organisers are amazing . With so many players and matches to handle they do a very good job.Maybe, from

now on, they should make it a point to give a main draw wild card to the men’s winner in ATP Pune Open. It will

make the tournament even more interesting .

I have fond memories of playing in the national

championships on hard courts in Delhi. The field was

always strong and motivated me to train and perform at

a high level. The tournament helps to gauge your level

and provides a platform for growth in the sport.

Playing the Indian junior circuit including the

Shriram Open provided an opportunity to compete

against other top Indian players and learn where I

needed to improve. The results helped to get chosen to

represent India in international competitions and to

ensure progress in my career.

The tennis community is, I am sure, grateful and

appreciative of the support and sponsorship provided

by the company, to give a platform for players to

perform and showcase their potential. The national

championships inspires players to reach the highest

level and plays an important role in providing

opportunities for growth in the game.

HARSH MANKAD

“

They said it...

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FENESTA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

YEAR Mens Singles Womens Singles

1993 Syed Fazaluddin Sahiba Chadha

1994 Vikrant Chadha Arati Ponappa

1995 Nitin Kirtane Archana Venkataraman

1996 Sandeep Kirtane Jahnavi Parekh

1997 Asif Ismail / Gaurav Natekar (Shared) Uzma Khan

1998 Nitin Kirtane Uzma Khan

1999 Sunil Kumar Sipaeya Sai Jayalakshmy

2000 Nitin Kirtane Rushmi Chakravarthi

2001 Vijay Kannan Rushmi Chakravarthi

2002 Vinod Sridhar Isha Lakhani

2003 Punna Vishal Ankita Bhambri

2004 Aqeel Khan Sanaa Bhambri

2005 Sunil K Sipaeya Isha Lakhani

2006 Purav Raja Isha Lakhani

2007 Ashutosh Singh Isha Lakhani

2008 V M Ranjeet Ratnika Batra

2011 Yuki Bhambri Rutuja Bhosale

2012 Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan Prerna Bhambri

2013 Mohit M Jayaprakash Prerna Bhambri

2014 J Vishnu Vardhan Prerna Bhambri

2015 N. Sriram Balaji Prerna Bhambri

2016 J Vishnu Vardhan Riya Bhatia

2017 Dalwinder Singh Mahak Jain

2018 Siddharth Vishwakarma Mahak Jain

133

Editorial Team: (DCM Shriram Ltd)Aman Pannu, Manish Joshi

DCM Shriram Archives Team: Navratan Singh, Asgar Raja

Shradha Sharma

Special Acknowledgement to Kamesh Srinivasan, Esteemed Sports Journalist, The Hindu whose support and inputs have been vital in putting together the 25 years journey of the National Tennis Championship.