Philip Chacko

Fantastic players, passionate fans, a superb arena, unlimited fun and scintillating tennis — the Tata Open 2003 was a winner from start to finish

The gladiatorial spirit in sport shines brightest in individual disciplines. There’s something about one-on-one combat that team games can never provide, and the sport that exemplifies this singularity best is probably tennis. You would believe it definitely is — if you witnessed the recently concluded Tata Open Championship 2003, a feast of skill, strength, athleticism and uncompromising competition. And loads of fun.

Once every 12 months, in a week that straddles two years, an international tennis caravan rolls into Chennai with top-ticket performers to deliver sporting entertainment of the highest quality. A world-class organisational set-up, the country’s finest tennis arena, passionate and knowledgeable fans, and the generous support of the Tata Group have made the Open India’s premier sporting event.

This year’s championship, which unfolded at the bull-pit cauldron that is the Nungambakkam Stadium on December 28, 2002, and climaxed on January 5, 2003, had more than its share of potent elements: drama on the court, a multitude of events off it, and a ‘Thaigar’ who thrilled fans and tamed opponents with style and panache.

A star is bred
Paradorn Srichaphan, the sensation from Thailand with choirboy manners and shot-making precocity, scythed through a classy field to underline why many observers consider him the next big thing in tennis. The 23-year-old did not drop a set on way to the third title of his now-blooming career, blowing away foes with a blend of power and guile, and wowing aficionados with his court craft and sportsmanship.

Srichaphan came into the tournament ranked 16th in the rankings after a breakthrough year in which he defeated the likes of world No 1 Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi and Marat Safin. Coached by father Chanachai, who quit his bank job 10 years back to take charge of his son’s dream, Srichaphan is now poised to become the highest-ranked Asian player in the modern game since India’s own Vijay Amritraj.

The rival at the receiving end of Srichaphan’s bombardment in the final was Karol Kucera, who lost the fight on the day, and comprehensively at that, but may have won the battle to rehabilitate a career that once promised great advancement. This Slovak, who reached a career high of No 6 in 1998 before injuries and indifferent form struck, shocked top seed and defending champion Guillermo Canas, the world No 15, in the quarterfinal, prior to defeating Juan Ignacio Chela, the fourth-seeded world No 23, in the semifinal.

The two Argentinian scalps were of little use for Kucera, nicknamed ‘the little cat’, against the inspired Srichaphan. The unseeded Slovak’s languid game, reminiscent of his brilliant countryman Miloslav Mecir, wilted under the Thai onslaught. There would be no more surprises at Tata Open 2003.

Indian troubles
Kucera’s heroics aside, the singles draw proceeded on predictable lines, unless you consider the early exit of Mark ‘Scud’ Philippoussis, the big-hitting Australian who fizzled out against the steady German, Rainer Schuettler. The Indian challenge, in the singles at least, was even more tepid than the Scud. A rusty Leander Paes went out in the first round, as did Rohan Bopanna and Prakash Amritraj (Vijay’s 19-year-old son).

Chennai’s enthusiastic crowds — all war paint, flags and deafening decibels — had a bit more to cheer about in the doubles, where the previously inseparable Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi were playing with new partners. Bhupathi, teaming up with doubles legend Todd Woodbridge of Australia, made the semifinal with relative ease before bombing out in straight sets. Paes and his partner, David Rikl of the Czech Republic, were desperately unlucky, losing a heartbreakingly close quarterfinal encounter.

But there’s always more to the Tata Open than the tennis proper. This time out the ‘extras’ came wrapped up in many flavours: exciting contests for fans, a celebrity charity match, a tennis clinic, and more. The charity match pitted Bollywood favourite Raveena Tandon and Canas, the top seed, against Vijay Amritraj and local superstar Madhavan, with the wacky Cyrus Broacha as umpire. It was played to raise funds for Child Relief and You, the non-governmental organisation that works with underprivileged kids.

Ceaseless frolic
The Tata stalls at the stadium had a simple agenda: the ceaseless supply of unadulterated frolic (with tennis as the theme). That meant contests and more contests: blowing cheese balls with straws, guessing the number of tennis balls in a glass container; choosing the right nicknames of the players, and a treasure hunt for cardboard stars strewn around the stadium premises.

Chennai’s vivacious fans, an eclectic mix drawn from across the age spectrum, lapped up the tournament and its accompanying goodies with unbridled exuberance. This, after all, is the country’s tennis capital, home to the best players India has produced. The Tata Open could not have found a better haven, as evidenced by the turnout at the championship and spectator awareness of the game’s many nuances.

The bare facts about the Tata Open are impressive enough: South Asia’s only Association of Tennis Professionals event; one of only seven in all of Asia; among the best-promoted and organised tournaments on the men’s tour; and India’s leading international sporting event. The bedrock of the success the championship has secured is the Tata Group’s enduring commitment to and support for Indian sport in general and tennis in particular.

One week of glorious tennis was what the Tata Open served up. And a welcome ‘racquet’ did it create.

Uploaded in January 2003