The focus may be on Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna and Leander Paes at the French Open, but Karman Kaur Thandi will attempt to make a ripple or two with her deeds in Paris in the junior event starting on Sunday.
The 17-year-old Karman, who has been backed by multiple Grand Slam champion Mahesh Bhupathi, had made the pre-quarterfinals at both the US Open and Australian Open.
Having won a grade-1 tournament on clay in Germany last year and having made the semifinals and a quarterfinal in women’s events in recent weeks in Italy, the tall and wiry Delhi girl, trained by coach Aditya Sachdeva, is confident of doing her best in Paris.
More than anything else, Karman has been getting excellent coaching guidance. While it was Bobby Mahal in Canada and US last year, it is the experts at the Mouratoglou Academy in Nice, France, who have been grooming her in recent weeks.
Patrick Mouratoglou had established the academy in collaboration with another tennis pro Charles Auffray in 1996, and has the rich experience of guiding top players like Marcos Baghdatis, Grigor Dimitrov and the incomparable Serena Williams. In fact, the academy is a den for future champions.
“He was able to take me from great to historic”, Serena Williams had said about him.
“I spoke to Patrick and got it done”, said Mahesh, about giving Karman the chance to train with some of the world’s top juniors and women players at the academy. “Karman has an intense and a dangerous game. There is a huge potential in her serve and forehand. When she uses these two strokes effectively, she will be dominating the game”, said Benjamin Ebrahimzadeh of the Academy, according to a release from CEO Anjali Parikh of the International Athletic Pathways, the Indian partner for the Mouratoglou Academy.
Ranked a career-best 645 in the women’s circuit and 42 in juniors, Karman is happy with the strong training support at the Academy in Nice. “Training is very good here. Working with the best team of coaches at the Academy”, said Karman before leaving Nice for Paris on Thursday.
Mahesh was clear that the junior Grand Slams could serve as a ‘stepping stone’ for the best Indian junior at the moment. “Honestly, the goal is not juniors anyway. She will play only the Slams.”
Yes, after the US Open, Karman has played only one junior tournament before the Australian Open and nothing afterwards. She competed remarkably well in Italy in the women’s circuit, putting together 10 matches in singles and doubles over a fortnight.
With Pranjala Yadlapalli, with whom Karman had made the quarterfinals of doubles at the Australian Open, skipping the French Open, Karman will partner the 16-year-old Australian, Jaimee Fourlis.
Karman will attempt to capitalise on the guidance of travelling coach Kerai Abakar to leave her mark on the red clay in Paris.
