A star in the horizon

Suresh showed great body language and staying power as he shocked top seed Siddanth Banthia 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (1) to win the championship. Suresh, who has a slight built, showed great heart and a cool mind to produce the game to beat a bigger player in terms of seeding. “This is the first time I have won a national title and I am over the moon. I am happy to see my efforts come through and I know it is just a start of a long career and a dream,” Suresh said.

The tenth standard student bowed out in the quarter-finals for two years but was determined to make it big the third time. “I played my game. I used the serve and volley well to close out points. I was also consistent from the baseline which enabled me to place my shots in the right areas and it fortunately worked when it mattered,” Suresh added. 

Suresh, who is coached by Lakshman Chakravarthy in Velammal Matric. HSS Surapet, said bouncing back from a match point down was the highlight of the victory. “Siddanth was dominating in the first set. I was all over the place and he finished well. I played the waiting game in the second and was able to take the match to the decider. In the decider, he had a match (championship) point and fortunately I was able to indulge in a rally and saved the point. From then on, I thought he buckled under pressure and I was able to close the championship without any further fuss,” Suresh said. 

The 16-year-old’s training regime is a tough one. He has a 90-minute fitness session in the mornings followed by a two-hour training. A three-hour training in the evening completes his day. With the support of the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association, Suresh is also planning a move to the 4 Slam Tennis Academy in Spain next month. 

“I have to work on my playing style including more aggression, power and speed to match up to the European players. That is the first step to help me realise my dream of playing in a Grand Slam. I hope my Spain stint would be the right choice,” he hoped.