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Saketh Myneni tells Manu Shankar what went into the making of the gold and silver medal success at the just-concluded Asian Games.
Winning a gold medal at one of the biggest of sports extravaganzas is certainly overwhelming. More so, if you are returning from injury and partnering a champion athlete.
So you can forgive Saketh Myneni, Indian tennis' newest star, for being ecstatic. Winning gold at the Incheon Asian Games hasn't yet sunk in.
He and Sania Mirza proved too strong for the Chinese Taipei combination of Hsien Yin Peng and Hao Ching Chan in the mixed doubles final, the second seeded Indians winning 6-4, 6-3 in 69 minutes, as the country’s tennis campaign at the Games ended with five medals.
"It hasn’t really sunk in. It will take couple of weeks for me to get over the achievement. It’s a awesome feeling… retuning from the Asian Games with two medals; it’s really a nice feeling and I really enjoyed my time in Incheon," said Myneni in an exclusive interview with Rediff.com.
"To top that is when you hear the National anthem go; it’s priceless! It’s something that you can’t really express in words… it gives you goosebumps," he added.
‘To have returned with one gold and a silver, couldn’t have asked for more’
Myneni could have ended up with two gold medals, but had to settle for a silver after losing 5-7, 6-7(2) to South Korea's Hyeon Chung and Yongkyu Lim of Korea, while partnering Sanam Singh, in the men's doubles final.
"It was a tough game; we failed to convert crucial points. The Koreans took all the big points and took the game away from me and Sanam," said the Hyderabadi.
Talk about the disappointment of missing out on that gold, and the 26-year-old is quick to rebuff any of it.
"I mean, the expectations before I went to the Asian Games was to win one medal; didn’t matter what kind of medal. I put myself in such a situation where I stood a chance to win two gold on the final day.
"But to have returned with one gold and a silver, couldn’t have asked for more," he added.
'Sania’s experience was a big factor'
Partnering the experienced Sania did help.
"I have known Sania for a couple of years now. Both of us know each other’s game. Perhaps that’s the reason why she picked me. She knows my game and, maybe, I'm better suited for the kind of play.
"We communicate really well and we did pretty well there, finishing the tournament on a strong note," said Myneni, a double major in Finance and Economics from Alabama University.
Elaborating on the mixed doubles final, he said, "Sania’s experience was a big factor. I mean she has been in high-pressure games before and we had a game plan.
"I knew the guy in doubles (Hsien Yin Peng) and she knew the girl (Hao Ching Chan). So I brought in my perspective about the game and she brought in hers and we had a nice game-plan which helped in the end.
"Same happened in the men's doubles as well. Me and Sanam played solid tennis throughout the week; even in the final we played pretty well, but, unfortunately, couldn’t convert those crucial points.
"The game plan didn't change much compared to the mixed doubles. It was just that I had to keep it solid and stick to the fundamentals," he added.
'Need to improve singles ranking'
Standing tall at six feet four inches, Myneni credited his success to the Davis Cup experience.
"Davis Cup experience certainly helped. The confidence that I've been having is certainly a big boost. Rohan (Bopanna) has done an outstanding job just helping me around and making sure I handle the pressure well. So Davis Cup was a big confidence booster for me and the Asian Games has added that now.
Having returned from an injury which he sustained last summer, he is now looking to improve his singles ranking on the ATP World Tour in the hope of making it to the Rio Olympics.
"Three months back my ranking was 250 and at present it’s 453. So, now my target is to break into the top 100, which will not be an easy task.
"I need to be physically and mentally strong, keep myself healthy and play a lot of tournaments," he said.
Myneni, who lives in Visakhapatnam now, attributed the time spent at the Alabama University to his growing stature in the game.
"The time and exposure that I got at the Alabama University was crucial in my development as a tennis athlete... like going to the United States, getting to know new culture, new friends and learning new technique."