Despite loss, Saketh optimistic about new season

The lanky Andhra Pradesh born player couldn’t do justice to his wildcard entry after losing to Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny in the first round 6-4, 6-3. His doubles sojourn with Tamil Nadu’s Ramkumar Ramanathan was also over in the opening round when the pair lost to Steve Darcis and Benoit Paire 6-4, 0-6, 10-8. 

Saketh rued missed opportunities for his downfall. “I missed a few first serves and that did not help. I also mishit a couple of strokes and misread the speed. The first serve let me down. But I am happy with the progress I have made after having a shoulder issue last season, happy to play after two and a half months,” he said. 

With the caravan moving to Australia for the season’s first Grand Slam, Saketh hopes to make a mark in Melbourne. “I know I have to bring the best out of myself to thwart more challenges that come my way. I relish the opportunity of playing in big tournaments and a good off-season has given me an advantage to hit strides with great confidence,” he said. 

Saketh, armed with a huge serve, was at his best when he qualified into the main draw at the US Open and came close to winning his first-round match against Jiri Vesley, before going down in a marathon. “I am very happy with the progress I’ve made during last eight or nine months. The efforts I have put in the last two years is gradually paying off. It has been a learning process. I enjoyed playing my first Grand Slam, especially after three tough rounds in the qualifiers. I was unfortunate to play Jiri in the first round but I am very happy with the progress I have made,” he added. 

Like every player, Saketh relishes the responsibility of playing for the country. “I always love playing for the country. It is a huge honour to represent the nation in the Davis Cup. New Zealand (the next Davis Cup opponent for India) are a tough team to beat but the motivation among all of us is sky high and we are raring to do well, keeping aside the non-playing issues,” Saketh said adding: “We came close a couple of times to progress to the World Group stage. We do have the depth this time to pull it off and that is a positive sign. We need to keep trying and everyone in the team has the never-give-up attitude that helps all of us progress easily.” 

The Indian wants to break into the top100 in 2017 and more importantly stay healthy and fit enough to compete for the entire year. “It is also the time for me to realise the dream of playing in Grand Slams. There is a lot of work that needs to go in to break into the top-100 and more importantly, I need to keep doing the right things that I have been doing all these years and it all boils down to consistency,” the 29-year-old added.