Bopanna eager to get back in shape

On the road to recovery from an injury sustained during Wimbledon, India’s doubles ace Rohan Bopanna is patiently waiting to get back in shape for the Asian Games, set to begin on August 18 in Indonesia.

Bopanna picked up the racket for the first time in three weeks on Saturday and he is planning some more in days to come.

“It was a latissimus dorsi tear. It was a minor tear. It is healing well,” Bopanna said at the launch of India’s first sports-inspired fitness form Cardio Tennis (CT) here on Sunday.

“The doctor had told me to take three weeks off. It has been three weeks now. Yesterday was the first day I hit (the ball). Today, I am going to hit some more in the afternoon. On Tuesday, I am supposed to serve and see how it goes. If I am feeling fit, I will go to Toronto, if I am not feeling 100 per cent fit, I’ll have to pull out and get ready for the Asian Games. So I take it day by day.” he remarked.

Bopanna was also forced to pull out of the ATP event in July in Sweden where he was to team-up with Divij Sharan, his partner for the Asiad. A couple of tournaments with Divij would have helped develop some on-court chemistry between the two but the lack of action has done little to deter the Bengalurean’s spirit.

“I am very much in touch (with Divij),” he stressed. “I’ve changed numerous partners over the years. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. We’ll give ourselves a few days to prepare before the match starts. I have known Divij for a long time, we were part of the Indian Oil team as well. We have played there together. So, absolutely, I don’t think there should be a problem,” he explained.

The encouraging performances of Prajnesh Gunneswaran and Ramkumar Ramanathan in recent times have given India enough reasons to be optimistic about the days to come, feels Bopanna.

“Absolutely, any tournament you do well it gives you a lot of confidence going into events in which you really want to perform. They’ve been playing extremely well. I think India have a good chance not only in doubles but singles as well. I think that makes us a strong team overall,” said Bopanna, who rued the absence of team event in this edition of Asiad.

“Unfortunately, there is no team event this year. We would’ve been strong contenders at Asian Games.”