Festival Of Tennis

May be Federer's winning  Wimbledon today, will bring an end to yet another festival of celebration called tennis.

I was very young when I was introduced to Tennis way back in the sixties when Deccan Gymkhana in Pune had held All India Tennis tourney. My Mama had passed on his season ticket to me as he was busy elsewhere. The era was pre-open and only non-professional players were allowed to participate, mostly, including in 'Grand Slam'. Not a very popular game in those days vis a vis Cricket and was restricted to army personnel or bureaucrats who had come to spend their retired life in placid Pune of those times. 

Stands had hardly any patrons so I, in my early teens had a chance to mingle with stalwarts of yesteryears freely, but hardly imbued in their greatness then. Pioneer of Indian Tennis Ramanathan Krishnan was hardly a celebrity in today's parlance, looked every inch middle class South Indian clerk heading for his office in Meenambukkam! Jayadip Mukharjee had an aura around him of sophistication but the cake was taken away by Premjit Lall who was tall handsome and not dark to boost! Nirupama Vasant, who later married Son of Late Vinoo Mankad, Ashok Mankad was an Oomph girl on the courts. Youngsters used to line up on the stands to have look at her heaving bosoms! Her opponent again was some south Indian Amma, maybe some Ms Laxmi Narayanan or Menon I forget the name, naturally, but what I remember is, as The rule of tie-breaker was not formulated yet [Came much later ] and the difference of two was the order of the day, so in some match, it had gone to 70-71! And they had continued the game in the morning with overnight rest!

Indian Tennis never shone despite players like Mr Krishnan or Mr Premjit Lall, maybe we lacked the infrastructure and it remained the play of the elites requiring lots of funds. Amritraj brothers were show-offs and they showed their true colours by joining Hollywood in the end. Ramanathan Krishnan's son Mr Ramesh tried valiantly but always remained as 'Yet to shining star! '

Tennis in the Indian context came into existence only when Mr Leander Paes entered the arena and of course was glamorised by Ms Sania Mirza, no doubts! They brought glories to Indian shores even on the International platform but mostly in Doubles and Mixed doubles. There is yet not a single tennis star on the Indian horizon who could see either Mr Federer or Rafa in the eyes!
That brings us to the starlit milky way of Tennis!