The stylish raconteur that he’s, Vijay Amritraj held courtroom effortlessly along with his pleasant manner and fast wit.
| Photograph Credit score: Sudhakara Jain
Near 43 years have handed since Vijay Amritraj reached a career-high males’s singles rating of 18. The passage of time, nevertheless, has not diminished his enchantment.
Nonetheless dapper at 70, Amritraj was the cynosure of all eyes at an occasion hosted by The Leela Palace right here to honour his induction into the Tennis Corridor of Fame (contributor class). Amritraj held courtroom effortlessly along with his pleasant manner and fast wit.
Birthplace of tennis
Amritraj might be inducted into the Tennis Corridor of Fame at Newport (USA) — a metropolis the place he has gained three titles (1976, 1980 and 1984). “The setting in Newport is spectacular. It’s the place the place tennis was born within the USA,” Amritraj stated.
Amritraj took a second to recollect his late dad and mom — Robert Amritraj and Maggie Dhairyam. “My biggest expertise was being born to the appropriate dad and mom,” Amritraj stated.
Amritraj praised Rohan Bopanna, who lately claimed the Australian Open males’s doubles title to turn out to be the oldest man to win a Grand Slam.
“You could have super assist from household, particularly your partner, to stick with it for this lengthy period of time. To play at 43 — the robust half is all of the work that have to be put in earlier than matches. As you become old, you decelerate. The shot that was as soon as routine just isn’t routine anymore,” Amritraj stated,
“The benefit is that Rohan performs doubles. Doubles and singles is like night time and day. If you must run down all the things for 3 hours, as you do in singles, it might have been a nightmare. The great factor is that he has a great serve, so there’ll all the time be free factors,” he stated.
“Greater than the rest, Rohan is a terrific man. He’s been an important consultant for India,” Amritraj added.
Later this week, India takes on Pakistan in a Davis Cup 2024 World Group I Play-Offs tie at Islamabad (Pakistan). India will slip to Group II if it loses — a state of affairs that doesn’t sit effectively with Amritraj.
“I’ve by no means identified what it’s prefer to be in Group II. I by no means even knew a Group II existed. That isn’t the place India belongs. It’s the gamers’ job to get us out of it,” Amritraj stated.
Don’t take it calmly
Amritraj warned in opposition to taking the Pakistan workforce calmly. “Firstly, I have no idea how good the grass courts are in Pakistan. Their gamers are typically good on grass. On a traditional foundation — on laborious courts over 5 units — there can be no query that India will win. However these circumstances make the groups extra equal,” Amritraj stated.
