India in doldrums seeking next singles savior

By Sanjay Rajan
CHENNAI, India (Reuters) - India, a nation with a proud tennis tradition built on Wimbledon and Davis Cup exploits, is desperately seeking a male singles player who can help revive the game.
The grass courts of Wimbledon once inspired Indians like Ramanathan Krishnan to produce their best singles performances in grand slams but none has now entered the men's singles main draw since 2001.
"(Playing in) Wimbledon and Davis Cup, that is the dream as far as any Indian tennis player is concerned," said Krishnan, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 1960 and 1961.
"Everyone considers Wimbledon as the Mecca of tennis and Davis Cup as the ultimate honor in representing the country," the 72-year-old told Reuters at his home in Chennai.
As the year's third grand slam kicks off Monday, however, India's only main draw singles action will be confined to Sania Mirza, currently the women's number 78.
India's best male player Somdev Devvarman, 24, is ranked 132nd and lost in the first round of qualifiers. Australian Open boys champion Yuki Bhambri, a future hope, is currently aiming to build senior rankings in low-key events at home.
In the past, India reached three Davis Cup finals while Krishnan, who charmed spectators with his touch game, produced India's best grand slam singles results.
His exploits inspired another generation of players led by Vijay Amritraj and Krishnan's son, Ramesh.
Amritraj, renowned for his Davis Cup exploits, used his height and a strong serve to become Asia number one and was ranked 16th in the world in the early 1980s.
He twice reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon while the younger Ramesh, whose silky shots reminded fans of his father's game, took up the baton and made last eight appearances in the grasscourt grand slam as well as the U.S. Open in 1987.
Ramesh also guided India into the Davis Cup final for a third time that year but the tap now appears to have run dry. India have not been in the Davis Cup World Group since 1998 after Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi turned to doubles.
No Indian has cracked the top 100 in singles ranking since Paes, who won an Olympics singles bronze medal at Atlanta in 1996 and reached a career-high 73 in 1998 before going on to become the world's top ranked doubles pair with Bhupathi.
Grand slam title winners together, they will feature in the Wimbledon doubles with different partners this time but they will have no compatriots in the men's singles main draw.
EASY ROUNDS
"Competition is (now) really high," said Krishnan, who runs a tennis academy with his son. Continued...
Source: Reuters