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Yuki Bhambri is now the World No.1 in juniors after his history-making feat at the Australian Open. He became the first Indian tennis player to win a junior Grand Slam. With his success at the Australian Open, Yuki joined a select band of three great Indian tennis icons -- Ramanathan Krishnan and his son Ramesh and Leander Paes -- to win the singles title at a Grand Slam event. TWF correspondent A. Roy catches up with the champion
After a long time an Indian won a singles Grand Slam title. How has been the feeling for you?
It was fantastic, awesome. I feel I am on top of the world. I think more so because of the media. The volume of coverage on TV and the newspapers has been beyond my wildest dreams. To top it all ADIDAS has honored me with a huge poster outside their South Extension store. I couldn't have asked for anything else.
It seems Indian tennis is on an upswing. First it was Somdev Devvarman, who recently made it to the finals of the Chennai Open and now you have won a junior Grand Slam. What are your thoughts about it?
Somdev has been studying in Virginia, USA, for the past 4 years. He has been the No. 1 player for the college, and in the US the importance and support given to players is unbelievable. I too have been training for over a year now at the Nick Bollettieri Academy in the US. I think that training and hitting with some good players has resulted in these great achievements
How are you now planning to graduate to the men's circuit?
As I have mentioned I am training at Bollettieri for longer periods now, they have a great staff. The academy has a system to produce champions and they definitely give me a chance to hit and practise with top college and men's players. When I will be doing this on a day-to-day basis my game will definitely improve and competing with them in the evenings will give me enough experience to make the transition
Like Somdev, do you have any plan to move to US and play college tennis?
I will decide after doing my 12th, I still have two years, let's see where I am then.
What kind of training did you get at the Nick Bollettieri academy in the US?
I think I have already answered this question above, they have a system having produced Andre Agassi, Taylor Dent, Tommy Haas, Max Mirnyl, Kei Nishikori and so on. I will get a chance to hit and practise with these players. So hopefully I will learn from them and improve my tennis.
How is the training system different from that in India? How is it helping you?
India does not have singles players in the top 200 , so there is no chance of hitting from them or gaining any experience, even those players who are there are not very eager to hit with the juniors. So it is a struggle here. There is no academy in India with10 -15 players of the same calibre for variety.
Your two sisters, have been representing India for quiet some time. Were they an inspiration for you?
Definitely that is the reason I started playing - I used to watch Ankita train and her matches.
Who has been your role model and why?
Pete Sampras of the olden days, because I loved his serve and volley game and he is an all time 14 time Grand Slam champion, and now Nadal - his shot making is unbelievable and I would love to have the stamina he has to play 5 hour long matches with the same intensity
Besides tennis, what are the other sports do you like?
I love to play cricket like every Indian and I am just starting to learn a little bit of golf.
Outside tennis, which player do you like the best and why?
I am a big fan of Sachin - who isn't???
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