Mumbai: Final month after Indian teen Manas Dhamne had a success with world No.1 Jannik Sinner — his fellow former Piatti Tennis Centre trainee — in Monte Carlo, Sinner’s coach Darren Cahill had one thing to say. “Manas never misses! Improving everything (sic: everytime) we see him!” the Australian coach wrote on X.
Manas Dhamne with world No.1 Jannik Sinner after having a success collectively final month. (Piatti Tennis Centre/HT)
That the 16-year-old from Pune is the brightest younger Indian tennis prospect has been recognized for some time, and, in contrast to most Indian gamers his age, Manas has already moved on from taking part in within the junior circuit. He thus is tracing that enchancment path, of his sport, physique and thoughts, in essentially the most unrelenting of levels: the skilled tour.
One in every of Manas’s earliest experiences of the professional tour got here in Pune final 12 months, when he was handed a wild card on the ATP 250 Maharashtra Open and offered glimpses of his potential going through the then 113th-ranked Michael Mmoh. Spending most time away from the nation along with his coaching base in Italy’s Bordighera, Manas returned to play in India after some time this month.
Very similar to his season by which he has competed considerably greater than final 12 months, it’s been a blended bag — he beat India’s 25-year-old Manish Sureshkumar and misplaced to higher-ranked opponents from Czech Republic and Russia throughout ITF occasions in Bhubaneswar and Mumbai. Evident by way of that, nonetheless, have been the little enhancements in his sport and the loads of room nonetheless there in it.
As Cahill alluded to and was on present in Pune final 12 months, Manas already has a high-quality skill to place most balls again from the baseline. In Pune, although, former India professional and Davis Cup captain Anand Amritraj famous that with so many good ground-strokers round, “he’s got to move forward and be able to close out points a bit more”.
Manas did that extra usually in Mumbai. Largely ineffective from the baseline within the first two video games towards Maxim Zhukov, the Indian obtained into a way more attacking court docket place to complete a degree after a prolonged baseline rally within the third sport. He charged ahead and executed a few crisp volleys on the internet for winners within the first set.
Bodily, he’s turn into bulkier than final 12 months, including extra muscle to his arms and energy in his legs. Making the child from Pune stronger stays a relentless work in progress, and an space that his teaching staff on the Piatti Centre are most centered on at this stage of his profession. Twice this 12 months, Manas additionally obtained injured.
Engaged on the teenager’s bodily energy will even assist higher essentially the most obvious space of growth in his sport — the serve. By the complete first set towards Zhukov, Manas didn’t as soon as maintain serve. And but, in a mirrored image of his promising total sport, he managed to win three video games.
“Yes, the serve has major room for improvement. But that should come as he grows a bit older, and the shoulders get much stronger,” a senior India professional additionally competing in Mumbai mentioned.
Till his serve finds that sting, Manas must proceed to dig deeper to eke out outcomes. Outcomes, nonetheless, usually are not one thing Manas’s staff is simply too fussed about for now. At 16 whereas discovering his ft as a professional, creating his sport and physique stays the precedence.