New face of tennis

The Hindu                                                                                        -   The School Of Power Tennis              
Tennis Saketh Myneni is upbeat on his selection into the Indian Davis Cup squad

ChampspeakJ. Vishnuvardhan, Suresh Krishna and Saketh Myneni in Hyderabad. (File photo)Photo:V V SUBRAHMANYAM

By strange coincidence, two Hyderabadis – Jagadeesan Vishnuvardhan and Saketh Myneni – might well represent the changing face of Indian men’s tennis. For these two young, talented players are named in the Indian Davis Cup squad for the next round of Asia-Oceania Group I match against New Zealand in Chandigarh from this September 14.

Saketh is delighted and feels it a huge honour to get a chance to represent the country in such a prestigious championship. “As any sportsperson will feel great about the chance to play for India, I am no exception. This is what I have been waiting for,” says Saketh. Another interesting aspect is that both Vishnuvardhan and Saketh are trained by the untiring and dedicated coach C.V. Nagaraj.

Effectively, the journey from the backyard of RRC Grounds in Secunderabad to the Davis Cup squad is also a reflection of a remarkable story of triumph of commitment, hard work and intense desire to keep improving over adversity. “I take pride that both of them come from my school – School of Power Tennis Academy,” says a visibly delighted Nagaraj.

“Ever since I was 14, Nagaraj sir moulded me into a performing player. I am fortunate to have such a gentleman as a coach,” says Saketh, who won the Senior national championship early this year, beating his friend and Academy teammate Suresh Krishna in the final.

For this gifted player, it can be a simple case of moving closer to realising one of his dreams – to play for India in the Davis Cup – when he is named in the national team for the next round of match in Chandigarh later this month.

“I don’t want to think in terms of pressure because of expectations. Rather, I will love to take it up as a challenge,” says the 6-foot, 3-inch tennis player.

Saketh, who’s done Majors in Finance & Economics from Alabama University, is aware of what it means to be business of winning in a sports arena too. “It would be unfair to even think of replacing the greats like Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. I mean we all grew up watching them achieve glory,” he says.
What is remarkable in the case of Saketh is that he came back last year to India after a five-year stint in US where he combined academics and tennis with ease. “We have a long way to go. So in that context, I would personally love to look at Davis Cup selection as a huge opportunity rather than anything else,” insists the young champion who admires Andre Agassi a lot.

This 24-year-old tennis player, who won the Junior nationals in 2005, believes his big serve – often touching 230 kmph – is his strong point. For someone who loves the grass court, Saketh is working hard with his coach to master many finer aspects to be a much better player.

Interestingly, The national champion believes that learning is an endless process and that any one keen to be good should be ready to face the challenges that come his or her way. “I don’t look at Davis Cup selection as the end of it all. It can be the beginning of a new chapter for me in my career. The onus is on us to perform,” signs off the young champion.
V.V. SUBRAHMANYAM

Coach with double-impact - Indian Express ( The School of Power Tennis)

 

              To boast of two proteges in the Indian Davis Cup team is indeed an enviable distinction, which coach CV Nagaraj has toiled hard for years.The fruits of his struggle have finally been realized as Olympian J Vishnu Vardhan and the rising Saketh Myneni are in the new-look four-member Indian team that will meet New Zealand in Asia/ Oceania Group I tie at Chandigarh from September 14.


In fact, Susheel Narala was the first from Nagaraj’s camp who was in the Davis Cup team way back in the nineties.

“In 1997, when Narala was selected in the team to play Davis Cup, it was a huge boost to my coaching career.


But with two of my boys in the Davis Cup team among the four now, I’m happy for them.
And now, I would like to see more of my wards play for the nation at this level,” said a delighted Nagaraj.
 It was the love for the game that made Nagaraj a coach.
Starting his School of Power Tennis (TSPT) camp in the 1990’s at Railway Recreation Ground, Nagaraj strives hard to churn out champions.

“My vision to set up tennis schools was mainly to fulfill a larger mission to groom world class tennis players in India,” he said.
The 51-year-old coach is inspired by the legendary motivator like John Maxwell by saying: “Great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position”.
True to his words, Nagaraj, who moves around the city with his two-wheeler, has been modest about his achievements.

Nagaraj has had to his credit five men’s National champions that include Susheel Narla, Vishal Punna, Vishnu Vardhan, Suresh Krishna and Saketh Myneni.
Apart from the senior champions, he has also under-14 boys category national winners from TSPT like Anant Sitaram, KH Praveen and Chetan Pandit.
Vishnu Vardhan has been with Nagaraj since 17 years.
“Vishnu is hardworking and earned his due. He is an attacking baseline player,” said Nagaraj.
The 2011 Grass Court National champion Myneni has a variety in his game.
“He has the unique capability to change the pace.
The opponent mostly takes time in reading his game and by then he makes sure he takes the lead,” said Nagaraj, adding, “both Vishnu and Saketh have big serves and both have very good return of serves”.
Myneni is all praise for his coach.

“He is one of the coaches whose dedication is amazing. His passion for the game makes him one of the best coaches that I have come across. What I like about him is that with modest facilities and with meagre financial support, he has been able to run the show successfully. He is surely the unsung coach of Indian tennis,’’ he said.
Vishnu thinks that Nagaraj keeps things simple.

“But he is very particular about discipline. He has the unique ability and patience to groom young talent, at the same time not averse to modern day technology,” said Vishnu

Vishnu Vardhan wins title - The Hindu

DOING IT AGAIN:Vishnu Vardhan won the Toyota Bangalore Open title, his second straight success after last weekend's triumph at Mysore.— PHOTO: K. Gopinathan

: It proved to be a second successive Saturday of extreme delight for Vishnu Vardhan. The second seed claimed the singles title in the $10,000 Toyota Bangalore Open ITF tournament that concluded here at the KSLTA Court. In the final, Vishnu defeated top-seeded Ti-Chen of Chinese Taipei 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.
Last weekend, Vishnu had won the ITF at Mysore and like then, he raised his game for the occasion in a summit clash that stretched past sunset, thanks to a 100-minute rain-stoppage. Vishnu's serves were largely spot-on, and with 16 aces, he often notched the decisive points against an errant Ti, who ranted about line-calls and even once pointed his hands towards the skies and beseeched the gods, “I hope you are watching this!”
The opening set initially went with serve, until wet weather cried halt to the proceedings. On resumption, Vishnu broke Ti in the fourth and eighth games as the latter kept hitting wide. Vishnu proved equally adept at the net and soon, he nailed the first set and was seemingly riding the tide.
Ti though had other ideas and lived up to his top billing in the second set. He sliced his shots, imparted spin, slowed the pace and dominated the rallies with the deft drop shot, often being the sucker punch. The top-seed broke Vishnu in the third game and though a few points went through the deuce-advantage conundrum, Ti stayed firm to draw level and drag the contest into decider.
After the build-up, the third set proved to be a let-down in terms of a contest, as Vishnu breezed ahead at a stunning pace under lights, with breaks in the fourth and sixth games. And as always, when boxed into a corner, Vishnu unleashed his deep serves, while Ti lost the fight in his mind and crumbled with a string of errors.
Earlier, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Ranjeet Virali Murugesan bagged the doubles title.
The results (finals, Indian unless specified): Singles: Vishnu Vardhan bt Ti-Chen (Tpe) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1. Doubles: Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan & Ranjeet Virali Murugesan bt Arun Prakash Rajagopalan & N. Sriram Balaji 4-6, 6-3, 10-7.

Vishnu Vardhan emerges the champion

- Photo: M.A. SriramPRIZED POSSESSION: P. Vishnu Vardhan, who won the singles title on Saturday.

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Second seed P. Vishnu Vardhan defeated seventh-seeded Sriram Balaji 7-6(7), 6-3 in the final to take the title in the Zuari Garden City-ITF $10,000 tennis tournament here on Saturday.

Vishnu, with his powerful serves and consistent returns, prevailed over his 22-year-old rival who did not capitalise on the chances, especially in the tie-breaker of the first set.

Sriram, despite serving half-a-dozen aces and attacking strongly to have Vishnu in trouble, was unable to break his rival's serve in both the sets which offset his spirited effort.

In fact, it was Sriram's serve that came under pressure on several occasions in the first set where the first, seventh and 11th games went to deuce. With both holding serve, the first set went to the tie-breaker.

Remarkable recovery

In the tie-break, Sriram was serving at 6-3, one point away from taking the set, when Vishnu recovered to draw level and finally won 9-7, with Sriram putting one wide over the baseline.

The second set too proved an absorbing affair marked by some keen rallies before Sriram wilted in the eighth game with some unforced errors.

He dropped serve by slamming a forehand return out. Vishnu, who took a 5-3 lead with that break, served out the match in style to emerge a worthy winner.

An elated Vishnu said, “I am happy to win here. Sriram is an improved player and has done well on the ITF circuit in India and is always a tough rival.

“I think he was unlucky in the first set where he had three set points in the tie-break. I had to rely on my experience to get through.

“In the second set, however, it was much easier as he seemed to be tiring out after having played a doubles final and a three-set semifinals on Friday.”

Vishnu won $1300 and 18 points while Sriram took home $900 and earned 12 points.

The prizes to the winners were given away by Binayak Dutta, CFO, Zuari Industries. P.S. Vastrad, Deputy Commissioner & District Administrator, Mysore and Chairman, Organising Committee,Karti Chidambaram, Vice President, All India Tennis Association (AITA), K.L. Sudeer, Commissioner of Police, Mysore.

Former Test cricketer Javagal Srinath and KSTA Hon. Secretary Sunder Raju were the others present.

The result (final): P. Vishnu Vardhan bt Sriram Balaji 7-6(7), 6-3.

Keywords: P. Vishnu Vardhan, Zuari Garden City-ITF $10, 000 tennis tournament

Tennis lovers throng MTC for finals

Vishnu Vardhan hopes more Indians would play in grand slams in future

The $10,000 Zuari Garden City ITF Mysore Open concluded here on Saturday with second seed Vishnu Vardhan staking claim to the men’s singles title.

Witnessing the finals were a large number of spectators including former Indian cricketer Javagal Srinath, who arrived to watch the thrilling finals between Vishnu Vardhan and N Sriram Balaji.

Even though Vardhan defeated Balaji in straight sets, a tough fight ensued between the duo in the first set, which ended in a tie-breaker.

Speaking after receiving the trophy, an elated Vardhan said, “I am happy to win here and Balaji is a much improved player and has done well in the ITF circuit in India.”

Elaborating on the match, Vardhan said, “Balaji is always a tough rival. I think he was unlucky in the first set where he had three set points in the tie break and I had to rely on my experience to get through.”

Continuing, he said, “In the second set however it was much easier as he seemed to be tiring out after having played a doubles final and three setter semi-finals yesterday”. He hoped that more Indian players would be playing at the Grand Slams in the coming years.

Saket Myneni bags ITF Men’s Future Tennis title

Mandya (Karnataka): Saket Myneni, the 24-year-old from Hyderabad, won the title in the $10,000 Prem Sugars ITF Men's Future tennis tournament here Saturday defeating top seed Vijayant Malik 6-3, 6-4 in the final.

The fourth seeded Myneni outplayed Malik in a lop-sided final that lasted just 54 minutes. Myneni blasted winners at will against an erratic Malik who struggled to find his rhythm. Though Malik came up with some strong returns, he however made quite a few unforced errors.

In the first set, Myneni playing aggressively, raced to a 3-0 lead breaking Malik in the second game. He kept up the momentum and wrapped up the set at 6-3.

The second set too followed the same pattern and Myneni slowing down the tempo forced Malik into lot of mishits. Myneni broke in the fifth game and then took a 4-2 lead before closing the set.

Myneni with this win earned $1,300 in prize money and 18 points while Malik took home $900 and earned 12 points. (IANS)

It has been a real struggle

The Hindu  26-04-12                                                        The School Of Power Tennis

 

 

All for one:National tennis champions J. Vishnuvardhan, Suresh Krishna, Saketh Myneni, coach C. V. Nagaraj and P. C. Vignesh at a training session.— PHOTO: V. V. SUBRAHMANYAM

 Three Davis Cuppers and five national champions. Well, that is the remarkable achievement of the School of Power Tennis run by the untiring coach Canjeevaran Venkatrao Nagraj at RRC Grounds in Secunderabad.

And, clearly, 24-year-old Jagadeesan Vishnuvardhan stands tall amongst them by virtue of his consistency.

For the record, Vishnuvardhan (2008), A. S. Suresh Krishna (2010)and Saketh Myneni (2011) were the Senior National Champions while, P. C.Vignesh was the Runner-up in the 2009 edition.

The three Davis Cuppers from this stable were Susheel Narla, Punna Vishal and Vishnuvardhan.

Now, Vishnuvardhan believes that he steps into a difficult and testing crucial phase of transition from the ‘fringe player' status to gaining some sort of permanency in the Indian Davis Cup squad.

“For me, it has been a real struggle in life and in sport for the last five years and only since last two years, things have certainly improved for the good,” says the tall Vishnuvardhan, who was one of the reserves of the Indian Davis Cup squad for the recent encounter against Uzbekistan.

“When I started playing tennis, except Wimbledon, I never knew about any other Grand Slams. As I started competing and winning the age group events, I dreamt of playing for India in Davis Cup,” recalls the soft-spoken Vishnu, who lost the match in the reverse singles tie against Japan in Davis Cup last year but won the hearts of many critics with his striking performance on the tennis courts.

By all means Vishnu was one of those players who struggled to find the right platform after winning the National under-18 title. “That was the phase, when those keen to play in men's circuit had very limited opportunities as the focus was more on international events which were beyond our reach invariably,” he recalls.

What are the grey areas of concern now? “Well, when a Rafael Nadal says that he has to keep improving his fitness levels, it reminds of lesser mortals like us about the significance of staying fit over a longer period of time,” says Vishnu with a big smile.

“I am working a lot with Nagraj Sir (coach) on my defence, as I am essentially a very attacking player. Now, I am trying to master the art of controlling the pace of the game by sharpening my defence,” he pointed out.

Vishnu says the feeling of being close to the ambience of a Davis Cup match is in itself a huge experience. “Being in the company of Leander and Mahesh has helped tremendously as you tend to pick up new tricks every time you run into them. They are such great players and very affable,” he explains.

Vishnu rates his winning the National under-16 title in Hyderabad as the decisive moment in his career. He played the event at the insistence of his coach C V Nagraj, as he was not very keen to play the tournament.

“After winning that National title, I realised that I had the potential to dream big in tennis and truly justified that my coach can spot the potential talent and goal which we players tend to miss clearly,” says the articulate tennis star from Hyderabad.

“Playing in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games mixed doubles with Sania Mirza and winning the silver medal, and winning the bronze medal for men's team event were clearly the high-points of my career,” he looks back with justifiable pride.

“I was nervous definitely then. But, thanks to Sania and the men's team for their support, it turned out to be a very memorable Asian Games for me,” says Vishnu.

“That Asian Games also provided a huge opportunity of meeting one of my favourites - ace cueist and former World Champion Geet Sethi. I have read a lot of his books and what impressed me the most is his simplicity and the way he made someone like me feel so comfortable in the first meeting itself,” says an excited Vishnuvardhan.

“I hate the wrong calls especially in crunch situations as they take the match away from you. And, you just can't do anything about those calls,” he says with a tinge of seriousness to a query.

An executive in the Human Resources Wing of ONGC and a huge fan of the great Pete Sampras, Vishnuvardhan is clearly in the mood to look ahead. “There is no end to learning. I am aware that this is the most decisive phase of my tennis career and I am willing to go that extra yard in terms oftraining and make a mark by being more consistent,” he says.

“Well, you cannot even think of replacing someone like Mahesh (Bhupathi) and Leander (Paes),” clearly reminding that he has a long way to go.

Staying rooted, aiming high

THE HINU
MARCH,1,2012

Tennis Nagaraj has trained and groomed three Davis Cuppers and a recent national champion

Coach C. V. NagarajPhoto: V. V. SUBRAHMANYAM

He is looking to achieve what no other tennis coach from Andhra Pradesh even dared to think of – win the coveted Dronacharya Award. , t The 51-year-old Canjeevaran Venkatrao Nagaraj, a former junior national player has already the rare distinction of producing three Davis Cuppers – Susheel Narla, Punna Vishal and J. Vishnuvardhan besides five national champions, with the most recently crowned national champion being Mynaneni Saketh.

Everything he does at The School of Power Tennis Academy on the RRC premises in Secunderabad is unique – it doesn't close down after the morning session. The training, under the watchful guidance of Nagaraj, is an on-going process throughout the day with brief breaks.

“I enjoy this job. Honestly, I am just trying to see my players achieve something big which I couldn't as a player in my younger days,” says Nagaraj. A contemporary of the indefatigable Narendranath (former two-times national champion), he quit his HAL job because it did not permit him to dedicate time to the tennis court; now he is thrilled at the way his wards have been performing.

The list of his big achiever trainees is a virtual who's who of India's young generation of players, especially in men's circuit.

“The credit for all these achievements goes to them. I just tell them some practical points to keep improving and they keep trying to be better players,” says the modest tennis coach.

A recipient of Farkunda Ali Khan Award, given by the AP Lawn Tennis Associaton, for the best coach, Nagaraj feels he has still a lot to offer. “My ultimate dream is to win the Dronacharya Award. That is one thing which keeps me motivated,” he says with all honesty. Nagaraj doesn't even bother to travel with the players on the circuit. “I send my support staff by rotation with them. I cannot leave the Academy for I have to take care of so many other talented youngsters,” he explains.

So, far from the madding crowds, this gentleman keeps doing what he simply loves to – coaching.

AP Lawn Tennis coach attains Glory

Rising to the challenge - The Hindu 14-02-2012 , The School Of Power Tennis

NET TRICKS Saketh Myneni. Photo: Sushanta Patronobish

The new national champion Saketh is determined to make it big

He wants to stand tall – not just in terms of height (he is 6 foot, 3 inch) — but in stature too, in Indian tennis. Clearly, Saketh Sai Myneni fresh from being crowned as the new national tennis champion in Kolkata is aiming high. Back in the city after a five-year stint in United States where he combined academics and tennis training, Saketh feels that the atmosphere for sports has changed a lot back home. “This is the big win when you consider I had been consistent right through the championship week,” he looks back at the Kolkata triumph.

This gifted player too has been trained by the dedicated C. V. Nagaraj at the RRC Grounds which also produced the Davis Cupper J. Vishnuvardhan, Suresh Krishna (incidentally the one who lost to Saketh at the final in Kolkata).

The 2005 Junior national champion Saketh is delighted that there is a sea-change in the general sports scenario in the city, as it is no more cricket-centric. “I am really happy that many champions from different disciplines are making a mark now at the national and international level,” he points out. Saketh has decided to focus only on tennis and is not even looking for any job opportunity. This 24-year-old tennis player, who completed his Majors in Finance & Economics in Alabama University, doesn't believe that he will be weighed down by the expectations, especially after his two big titles in the last few weeks – the Futures and the Kolkata Nationals. “As a professional you have to be ready for anything. I always believe that learning is an endless process. There is always a scope for improvement,” feels the enthusiastic new star on the tennis horizon. “Yes, my big serve (often clocking 230 kmph) is the strong point right now and my first love is grass court. But since there are many hard-court tournaments scheduled, I am aware of the importance of being equally good on these surfaces too,” he explains. For someone who admires the former US great Andre Agassi, Saketh is really working hard to be a quality player with the desired all-round game. “I am fortunate to have such a dedicated gentleman like Nagaraj sir. He is more like a mentor to me. Always ensures that my energy levels are high,” were his compliments to his guru.

Powered by pride and passion

Indian Express
13 Feb 2012 


Powered by pride and passion

       The city and by extension, State tennis hasn’t looked this strong in a long time. Of the four finalists in the just-concluded men’s and women’s Senior National Grass Court Championship at Kolkata, three were from Hyderabad.

24-year-old USreturned Saketh Sai Myneni emerged victorious to win his maiden trophy dethroning AS Suresh Krishna, last year’s champ. For 16-year-old Sri Vaishnavi Peddi Reddy, it was hard luck as she went down fighting in three sets to seasoned campaigner Rushmi Chakravarthi in the women’s singles final. Notwithstanding her defeat, the very fact of a strong Hyderabadi presence in finals has once again put the city firmly in the driver’s seat in tennis years after Sania Mirza burst onto the international stage.

“In the past, it was Tamil Nadu which had at least 15 top players.

But it is AP’s time now.

We have tremendous talent here and I’m sure you will see more encouraging results in future,” says Saketh. It was also a proud moment for CV Nagaraj, perhaps one of the most successful coaches in the country. He made a hat-trick of sorts as three of his trainees, J Vishnu Vardhan, Suresh Krishna and now, Saketh won the national title. It could have been four in a row had PC Vignesh not lost out to Aushtosh Singh in the final in 2010.

“This year’s result is a perfect gift for the hard-working coach,” points out Suresh Krishna. Nagaraj’s Power Tennis Academy at the Railway Recreation ground in Secunderabad is a hub for tennis activity. Saketh like Suresh Krishna started his career at this academy as a young kid.

Hailing from Visakhapatnam, this lanky player came to the city to stay with his grandfather in Sainikpuri and learn tennis. He became junior national champion in 2005 before leaving for the US for higher studies at the University of Alabama. From 2006 to 2010, he was pursuing his studies and at the same time honed his skills in tennis. “It helped me become a stronger player, mentally and physically.

I had the opportunity to participate in the inter-collegiate tennis,” recalls Saketh, who on his return immediately came back to Nagaraj last year. The youngster, who has one of the most powerful serves in the game, has himself been methodical in his approach. “I did a lot of research on the game and fitness.

Sport is all about motivation,” points out Saketh, who got his first ATP points by winning the Futures tennis tournament in November last in Chennai.

Nagaraj feels that Saketh’s booming service is a potent weapon.

“He serves at around 230 kmph, easily the fastest in the country,” the proud coach says. So what next for this 6’3 tall young man? “I have to accumulate a good number of points before participating in tough tournaments outside the country,” he replies candidly and hopes to emulate his idol World No 1 Novak Djokovic.

Contrasting wins for Saketh Rushmi,

 The Hindu
February 12, 2012

TENNIS / Saketh  cruises in the men's final; Rushmi takes three hours to regain title

It took all of 57 minutes for Saketh Myneni of Andhra Pradesh to become the new men's National champion, while Rushmi Chakravarthi of Tamil Nadu required a record three hours to regain the women's title after a gap of four years.

The singles finals of the Indian Jute National grass-court tennis at the famed South Club centre-court witnessed contrasting scenes where two generations of tennis talents clashed for supremacy.

While top-seeded Saketh dominated reigning champion and Statemate A.S. Suresh Krishna in the men's final, third-seeded Rushmi prevailed over fourth-seeded Sri Vaishnavi Peddi Reddy of Andhra Pradesh in the women's final.

Rushmi's singles triumph also meant that she annexed a double crown. She had won the women's doubles title on Friday partnering Ankita Raina of Gujarat.

Looking for her sixth National title 34-year-old Rushmi scripted a rare essay of tact and endurance to better the 16-year-old Sri Vaishnavi and realise her dream.

Wealth of experience

Rushmi, who apparently is more into coaching in her newly opened academy in Chennai, dug deep into the wealth of her experience and clambered back from a set deficit to wrest the match from her young and energetic opponent.

Sri Vaishnavi began on a breezy note and opened up a 4-1 lead breaking Rushmi thrice in the first set. Just as Vaishnavi seemed to relax on the advantage, Rushmi stung back.

The seasoned campaigner teased her young opponent with a mix of low slices and deep cross-court returns while inducing the latter to commit errors.

Rushmi levelled the score 5-5 with a late comeback before forcing the tie-breaker. Sri Vaishnavi brought her strong forehand returns to good effect to win the first set tiebreak (7-3) and again ran up a 4-0 lead in the second set breaking Rushmi twice.

Rushmi, showing the temperament of a champion, gradually worked her way back once again just as Sri Vaishnavi seemed to be in a hurry to wrap up the match.

Rushmi salvaged one break in the fifth game and then levelled the breaks in the ninth game when Sri Vaishnavi was serving for the match at 5-3. Rushmi returned with uncanny calm and perfection making her young opponent choke and miss the easiest of returns.

Mental leverage

The second set also went to the tiebreaker, but Rushmi, having gained the mental leverage, levelled the set score winning the tie-break 7-2.

The final set, that lasted 65 minutes, saw a battle of attrition as Sri Vaishnavi played hard to survive while Rushmi went in search of winners.

Rushmi broke Sri Vaishnavi in the fourth game to forge a 3-1 advantage before Sri Vaishnavi broke back in the fifth to level the issue.

Rushmi broke Sri Vaishnavi, who led 40-30, in the 12th game to decide the set 7-5 and complete one of the longest National women's finals in recent times.

“Grass is my favourite surface and I just went out and gave my best today,” said Rushmi after winning her sixth title in nine final appearances.

Smooth ascension

Saketh's ascension to the top was the smoothest among recent champions. The Hyderabad-based player, who returned to the country late last year after playing five years of inter-collegiate tennis in the United States, was just brilliant today.

Never allowing his opponent to break serve, Saketh totally outclassed Suresh Krishna breaking serve once in each of the two sets for a quick victory.

“I wish to compete for a spot in the Indian Davis Cup team and I hope to continue with my form this season,” said 24-year-old Saketh, whose last major title in the country was winning the junior Nationals in Chennai in 2005.

The results (finals):

Women's singles: Rushmi Chakravarthi (TN) bt Sri Vaishnavi Peddi Reddy (AP) 6-7(3), 7-6(2), 7-5.

Men's singles: Saketh Myneni (AP) bt A.S. Suresh Krishna (AP) 6-3, 6-4.Doubles: Mohit Mayur Jayaprakash & Mohamed Fariz (TN) bt Rupesh Roy (Ben) & Christopher Marquis (Mah) 6-3, 6-4.

Three Players From the School of Power Tennis in Semi Finals

February 9, 2012


Defending champion A.S. Suresh Krishna (AP),P.C. Vignesh (AP),Saketh Myneni (AP)PLAYERS  from the school of power tennis in semifinals, Indian Jute National grass-court tennis championship


 Congratulations C.V,Nagraj from the chief coach of  "THE SCHOOL OF POWER TENNIS"


                                                       

Suresh Krishna survives a scare

HINDHU

February 9, 2012


THE  SCHOOL OF POWER TENNIS

 TENNIS / Former champs Ankita Raina and Rushmi Chakravarthi advance

BOUNCING BACK:Defending champion and second seed Suresh Krishna found himself a set down against qualifier Tejas Chaukalkar, but rallied to earn a spot in the quarterfinals.— PHOTO: PTI

Defending champion A.S. Suresh Krishna of Andhra Pradesh won a battle of attrition against qualifier Tejas Chaukalkar of Maharashtra to continue his march in the Indian Jute National grass-court tennis championship here at the South Club on Wednesday.

The second-seeded Suresh Krishna's survival meant that all the seeded players, except for sixth seeded Ajai Selvaraj who lost in the first round, sailed into the quarterfinals.

Krishna, who struggled for consistency, erased a set's deficit before turning the tables on his opponent in a battle that went on for two and a half hours.

Top seeded Saketh Myneni and third seeded P.C. Vigenesh of Andhra Pradesh moved up winning their respective matches comfortably.

The women's pre-quarterfinals turned into a virtual minefield for the seeds, with three out of the seven seeds playing on Wednesday losing to unseeded opponents.

After top seeded Shivika Burman retired after aggravating a shoulder injury in the first round, sixth seeded Garima Vatwani of Delhi conceded her match following a wrist injury to qualifier Vaniya Dangwal of Delhi. Vatwani was leading 6-5 when she was force d to retire.

Qualifier Nupur Kaul beat fifth seeded Shweta C. Rana of Delhi in straight sets.

Unseeded Sansitha Nandkumar of Tamil Nadu also produced a confident performance to outclass eighth seeded Nehel Sahni of Delhi.

Former champions — second seeded Ankita Raina of Gujarat and third seeded Rushmi Chakravarthi of Tamil Nadu — stormed into the quarters with easy wins.

The results: Pre-quarterfinals Men: Saketh Myneni (AP) bt Ronak Manuja (Mah) 6-3, 6-2; Mohit Mayur Jayaprakash (TN) Abhijeet Tiwari (Chg) 6-1, 6-4, Nitin Kirrtane (Mah) bt Arpit Sharma (Raj) 6-2, 7-6(2); Vijay Kannan (TN) bt Vinod Gowda (Kar) 6-3, 7-6(5); Saurav Sukul (Ben) bt Adit Jain (Del) 6-3, 6-2; P.C. Vignesh (AP) bt Siddharth Rawat (UP) 6-3, 6-4; Shahbaaz Khan (Mah) bt Yogesh Phoghat (Del) 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(2); A.S. Suresh Krishna (AP) bt Tejas Chaukalkar (Mah) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Women: Amrita Mukherjee (Ben) bt Smriti Joon (Kar) 6-0, 6-1; Vaniya Dangwal (Del) bt Garima Vatwani (Del) 5-6(retd); Rushmi Chakravarthi (TN) bt Rani Smita Jain (IAF) 6-0, 6-2; Treta Bhattacharya (Ben) bt Manya Nagpal (Del) 6-2, 6-1; Nupur Kaul (Del) bt Shweta C. Rana (Del) 6-4, 6-3; S. Vaishnavi Pedi Reddy (AP) bt Arantxa Andrady (Del) 6-1(retd); Sansitha Nandkumar (TN) bt Nehel Sahni (Del) 6-2, 6-4; Ankita Raina (Guj) bt Sahan Shetty (Kar) 6-2 ,6-2.

Doubles: Quarterfinals: Men: Christopher Marquis (Mah) & Rupesh Roy (Ben) bt Saurabh Singh (Del) & Rakshay Thakkar (Mah) 6-2, 3-6, 10-8; Saketh Myneni (AP) & Vijay Kannan (TN) bt Kamal Suresh (Kar) & Krishna Karsolia (UP) 6-0, 6-2; Mohit Mayur Jayaprakash & Fariz Mohamed (TN) bt Tejas Chaukalkar & Ronak Manuja (Mah) 6-3, 7-5; Arjun Khade & Nitin Kirrtane (Mah) bt Siddharth Rawat (UP) & Yogesh Phoghat (Del) 6-4, 7-5. Women: Rushmi Chakravarthi (TN) & Ankita Raina (Guj) bt Arantxa Andrady (Dli) & Namita Bal (Mah) 6-1, 6-2; Smriti Joon (Har) & Vanya Dangwal (Del) bt Sayali Bhilare & Sagarika Phadke (Mah) 7-6(7-5), 6-0; Saadgi Rajni & Eetee Mehta (Guj) bt Abhilasha Ahuja (Har) & Riya Bhatia (Del) 6-2, 4-6; 10-4; Amrita Mukherjee (Ben) & Sansitha Nandkumar (TN) bt Shweta Rana & Garima Vatwani (Del) 6-3, 3-2(retd).

Saketh, Shivika top seeded

 THE HINDU

  6/2/2012

THE SCHOOL OF POWER TENNIS

Saketh Myneni of Andhra Pradesh is top-seeded in the men's singles of the Indian Jute-AITA National grass court tennis, which gets underway at the South Club here on Monday. In the women's section, local talent Shivika Burman has received the top billing.

Mynen faces a strong field in the top half of the main draw, which presents a mix of youth and experience.

The men's field has the top three seeds from Andhra Pradesh with the defending champion A.S. Suresh Krishna seeded second. P.C. Vignesh, the finalist in 2009 edition, will be another strong contender for the title being given the third seeding.

The women's section will be seeing a new champion with the defending champion — Kyra Shroff of Maharashtra — opting out to play the circuit abroad. Shivika Burman, who won an ITF $10,000 women's tournament in Djibouti in December, will be looking to better her performance on grass.

Burman will be meeting wild-card Smriti Joon of Haryana in the first round.

Rushmi Chakravarthy of Tamil Nadu will be looking to regain her form.

The qualifying draw remained inconclusive with the final round matches slated to be completed on Monday. This pushes back the start of the main draw matches, the bulk of which will be played on Tuesday. — Principal Correspondent