Even as India completed its remarkable turnaround in the Davis Cup World Group Play-off against Brazil at the SDAT tennis stadium here, a few people were blessed with a ringside view of the spectacle.
V. M. Ranjeet, part of the Davis Cup reserves team, is currently ranked 520 in the world, and has been doing the rounds in the league circuit in Germany.
Though Ranjeet might have expected to make his Davis Cup debut in the dead rubber, after India was trailing 2-0 at the end of day one, he doesn't complain.
“I was preparing myself to play the fifth rubber, but after the fifth morning, when Somdev levelled the tie, I was only happy for Rohan to have won it for us,” he says.
Active on the International Tennis Futures (ITF) circuit himself, Ranjeet is still a little awed at sharing the dressing room with the legends of Indian tennis.
“Guys like Paes and Bhupathi have an aura about them. To have carried on for so long at the highest level and to have achieved so much is absolutely great. Somdev is a great friend and we've grown up together. To be part of such a locker-room was just fabulous,” he says.
Great learning experience
Rupturing his vocal cords alongside Ranjeet, as India came from behind to complete the comeback over the weekend, was Chennai lad Ramkumar Ramanathan, two-times Junior National champion and roped in as a hitting partner for the side. Currently being fast-tracked onto the men's circuit, Ramkumar says, “It was a great learning experience just being around people like Somdev, Rohan, Paes and Bhupathi. They have no airs about them, especially Somdev. He is a kid at heart and a great character to have around.”
The youngest member of the Indian contingent, Ramkumar was subjected to the usual mickey-taking that is the done thing in institutes of education across the country.
At a promotional event, Leander Paes busied himself with sketching on Ramkumar's pristine white jersey a surprisingly recognisable bow-tie, while Somdev imprinted ‘Kick me' on the back, all this as the junior-most member was addressing a few questions to the camera.
The ‘initiation' complete, Ramkumar had the chance to give back as good as he got, when he sparred with Somdev during the practice sessions. “Somdev arrived earlier than the rest and so it was just the four of us (Somdev, Ranjeet, Divij Sharad and Ramkumar) having hits. I had a good hour and a half long hit with Somdev. Scott McCain (Somdev's coach) had a few words of encouragement as well,” he says.
In fact, the coach was so taken up by his ability that he had a separate stint with Ramkumar the day after the play-off wound up, though he was scheduled to fly out the same evening.
“It is not just that you learn stuff from the players off the courts, it's also the way they have taken care of themselves over the years, the way they prepare for the matches,” says Ranjeet. That leaves the inevitable question of their thoughts on the historical comeback win.
Ranjeet chooses to be analytical. “Well, on the first day we were just put off by their (Thomaz Bellucci and Ricardo Mello) ability to hit hard and flat I think, and once Som and Rohan got into a bit of a groove, I knew we would pull through on the final day.”
Ramkumar admits to it being more of an emotional ride. “On the first day, especially when Rohan lost the first rubber after being up most of the time, it was difficult. In the fifth set, Somdev was losing, everyone was leaving and we were tired and drained, more than anything else. On the final day, after Bellucci retired, and Rohan was serving big, we just knew it was going to happen,” he says.
