The Hindu : In a hero's shadow, Prakash and Bopanna have a lot to prove

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 19, 2003

Sport

Sport - Tennis

In a hero's shadow, Prakash and Bopanna have a lot to prove

By Nirmal Shekar

Zwolle (The Netherlands) Sept.18. The giant shadow of a missing man blankets the India-Netherlands Davis Cup World Group qualifying round tie like a persistent fog on a wintry morning in the Scottish highlands.

The One Who's Not Here has dominated conversations here much more than the ones that are here. And that is perfectly understandable given the identity of the missing man.

For, India playing a Davis Cup tie without Leander Adrian Paes is like someone attempting a re-make of The Godfather without Marlon Brando, or _ if one can say this without sounding presumptuous _ any of you having your morning cup of coffee without a copy of this newspaper in your hands.

It's not that something is missing; in the essential sense, everything is missing.

Looking out of the hotel room this morning in this lovely little town which is a 75-minute drive from Amsterdam, you were not only struck by the picture-postcard pastoral beauty of the setting but were also immediately reminded of other such quaintly beautiful locations which provided the stage for the missing man's celebrated heroics.

Frejus...that half-medieval, half post-modern playground of the rich in the South of France, where, in July 1993, Paes authored _ in the company of the present team's non-playing captain Ramesh

Krishnan _ the greatest single upset in the entire history of World Group Davis Cup tennis...

The man may be missing, but his gladiatorial deeds of the past make sure that memory is fresh and ready to come gushing forth each time India plays a Davis Cup tie.

"He (Paes) is going through some tests today,'' said Ramesh this morning, a few hours before the draw ceremony in the Town Hall here.

Tests. Ah, tests. How many tests has Paes faced on the great stage of the Davis Cup! And how many times he has responded to a call of arms as only he can with the tricolour fluttering proudly in the background.

But over the next three days, even as the heroic performer stages another kind of battle in Orlando, Florida, attempting to overcome complications resulting from a cyst in the brain _ which was luckily diagnosed as not being cancerous _ a few young men will want to draw inspiration from the missing man's heroics.

If India has been a touch unlucky to be playing the World Group qualifying round tie away for the fourth time in four years, then it has been its misfortune too that for the second time in four years, Paes would not been able to play in the prestigious qualifying round.

In July 2000, not long after he took over as captain, Ramesh saw India make the qualifying round but eventually had to accept the inevitable after a journey to Bastad in Sweden without Paes who had a knee injury.

A year later, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, India had no answer to the mercurial brilliance of Andy Roddick in Winston Salem, North Carolina, while Lleyton Hewitt and Co. were far superior to India at Adelaide last year.

Formidable task

Now, without Paes, the task seems even more formidable for this young team which will take on the might of Sjeng Schalken and Martin Verkerk, the French Open finalist, on a medium fast indoor carpet at the Ijsellhallen here.

Prakash Amritraj will make his debut in Davis Cup against one of the finest sides in the competition _ he plays Sjeng Schalken in the second singles on Friday _ towards the end of a season in which he won three successive Futures events in India and saw his ranking climb to the top 400.

Rohan Bopanna, of course, will continue to do singles duty _ he opens against Martin Verkerk tomorrow _ apart from playing alongside Mahesh Bhupathi in doubles.

"We cannot talk about luck,'' said Ramesh when it was pointed out that India has not played a single World Group qualifying round tie at home in four years. "We have to play the cards we are dealt.''

Ramesh admitted that Paes's absence was a big blow. "There is no doubt at all that we will miss him. But the more important thing is his recovery. And fortunately it is not as bad as it was thought to be in the beginning. I am sure Leander will come out of this a stronger person.''

So, indeed, in a different context, would Prakash and Bopanna be hoping. Against a pair of world class players doing duty at home, these two young Indians will have to be at their very best even to make some sort of impression.

Ramesh is happy with the way the two are playing in practice but match-play in front of a partisan home crowd is another ballgame altogether.

Yet, this is a great opportunity for Prakash _ whose father Vijay revelled on the Cup stage time and again _ and Bopanna to prove that they are ready to serve India with pride and skills in the post-Paes era, although we are, thankfully, not there yet.

A special moment

At the draw, Vijay was very much a proud and happy father, missing no opportunity to click away with his digital camera. And once the draw was done, he was busier than his son, sought out by the Dutch media. "It is a very special moment for our family,'' said Vijay. And his son concurred. "This is what you dream of, growing up...playing for the country. We are up against two world class players and there is no pressure on us.''

Bhupathi, for his part, will always remember the last India-Netherlands tie, in Jaipur in 1996. That was the one in which Bhupathi played his finest tennis in singles to get past Jan Siemerink and Jacco Eltingh as India won 3-2.

"Although Leander is not here, I think they will be wary of us. They know what happened last time,'' said Bhupathi.

Wary, perhaps; disappointed, surely. Said Tjerk Bogtstra, the non-playing captain of the Dutch side: "It's a pity Paes is not here. It's always good to watch him play. We are going to miss him.''

Missing Paes...this theme will be something of a background score during the tie this weekend _ unless one or the other of the Indian boys manages to dig deep and discover the heart of a Paes within him.

Should this happen, it will be a fitting tribute to the heroics of the missing man.

The draw

Friday: 3.30 p.m. IST: Rohan Bopanna vs Martin Verkerk; followed by Prakash Amritraj vs Sjeng Schalken.

Saturday: 5.30 p.m. IST: Mahesh Bhupathi and Bopanna vs Verkerk and John Van Lottum.

Sunday: 3.30 p.m. IST: Bopanna vs Schalken; Prakash Amritraj vs Verkerk.

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