At 6’ 2” in her tennis shoes, the towering Poojashree Venkatesh can give her rivals a complex, especially those in her age group. The gangling 16-year-old Mysore girl, probably the best talent to emerge from the Karnataka stables in a long, long time, is keen to translate her potential into success.
Back home after her riches in the Grade 2 and Grade 3 ITF Junior events in Egypt last week, Pooja has set her eyes firmly on the future. The next two years will be all about tennis, tennis and more tennis. She is even contemplating taking a break from studies!
Pooja is a firm believer in the maxim make hay while the sun shines. “The next two years, I’m going to target the Grand Slams,” Pooja said on her return from Egypt. Next up for her is the US Open in August-September.
Ranked 62 in the juniors, Pooja may not get a direct entry for the year’s final Slam, but the AITA has applied for a wild card for both Poojashree and Yuki Bhambri, winner of the boys’ title in Egypt. Only the top 52 get direct entries in the draw of 64 at the US Open.
New York has come under her radar, more so after her recent exploits in Egypt. Playing some of her best tennis in recent times, it was only natural for her to embrace success. The teenager stunned top-seeded Alexandra Kolesnichenko of Uzbekistan in the semifinals last week.
The Mysorean proved that that victory was not a fluke as she came out all guns blazing in the title clash on Saturday. Basically a baseliner, Pooja is a good hitter of the ball and can wear down her opponents with her tenacity. Romania’s Diana Marcu found that out the hard way in the final as the Indian won 6-3, 6-2 for her maiden Grade 2 title.
A week earlier, the rusty Pooja — seeded second — fell to qualifier Paula Ormachea of Argentina in the semifinals of a grade 3 event. But she more than made up for that disappointment by going all the way in doubles. Partnering compatriot Janaki Gunuganti, she pocketed the title with plenty to spare.
Pooja is back in her hometown to iron out the rough edges with long-time coach Nagaraj. With about a month for the US Open, the 16-year-old should be ready and raring to go. Though she has not set any ambitious targets, it is matchplay and ranking points that the Mysore lass is gunning for.
Winner of many Grade 4 events, Pooja will be severely tested when she comes up against bigger and better ranked players in Grade 1 events. The lanky Pooja, who has a reasonably big serve, relies more on her backhand to get her out of trouble. But her biggest asset is her ability to retrieve, chase down balls that most would just watch whistle past.
With an excellent reach, loads and loads of stamina and the patience of a chess player, Pooja is more than willing to stay in a rally. The longer the rally, the better are her prospects.
A former trainee at the National Tennis Academy in Gurgaon, her future in a way depends on the sponsorship that comes her way. Though GVK sponsor her travel, what the promising youngster needs is more moolah so that she can concentrate on her game rather than worry about where the next penny is going to come from.
It would be a pity if the talented Pooja is forced to cut down on the number of tournaments for monetary reasons. But then, a champion is one who overcomes all hurdles. With a burning desire to excel, the eagerness to slog it out under the sun, and armed with oodles of talent, it won’t be long before Pooja keeps hitting the headlines with regularity.
