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Published 22:26 IST, February 1st 2025

I Saw A Lot Of Maturity In Myself Compared To Before, Says Tennis Player Mukund Sasikumar

Sasikumar Mukund did not have to escape unharmed from a cauldron. The stage was ideal for his Davis Cup comeback because he had an easy opponent to defeat, the comforts of home, and familiar faces in the stands who would support him no matter what.

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Mukund Sasikumar
Mukund Sasikumar (India) in action against Slovenian player Kavcic Blaz during the first round Open 2020 ATP Challenger Tour at KSLTA in Bengaluru | Image: ANI Photo

It was not exactly a cauldron from where Sasikumar Mukund had to escape unhurt.

An easy rival to deal with, the comfort of home conditions and familiar faces in the stands who would back him till the hilt: the stage was perfect for his Davis Cup comeback.

Thus, confidence was palpable when he spoke about his victory over Togo's Liova Ayite Ajavon. It was pretty straight forward win, 6-2 6-1 in just 75 minutes.

Yet, legs would shake when hopes are riding on you, especially after the kind of comeback he made following his suspension from India duty by the AITA on disciplinary ground.

Mukund was back to wearing India jersey and needed to win. Naturally, he was pretty pleased with his effort. "We played unforced error-free tennis for the most part. I'm really happy with myself, with the way I handled the whole situation. I think I saw a lot of maturity in myself compared to before," he said at the end of opening day.

"So, even though the nerves were there, my legs were holding up. So, if I had to battle it out for three hours, I was happy to do it and I had the mental composure also right from the morning," he added.

The 28-year-old got his first Davis Cup win after cramping out of court on debut against Morocco in Lucknow in September 2023.

Mukund said he was prepared for a slugfest but was also sure that Ajavon will have to punch much above his weight to make it a contest. "If I had to play 50 shots for each point, I was also ready to do it. So, that gave me a lot of relief from the beginning because I knew that he's going to have to play phenomenal tennis to get one point off me and I was covering the court really well." He did not have to be at his best to beat Ajavon, who mostly plies his trade on ITF Futures circuit.

"The match was a little bit less than my 80-90%. Normally, I could even keep the point shorter, but better safe than sorry in Davis Cup. I only stuck to the shots that I can hit at 3 a.m. in the morning.

"So, that's why I did not try something that I would have done in a normal match. Maybe I could have come in more or done something. So, I kept the plan very simple.

"I told Ram also the day before that I'm keeping the targets very clinical and I'm really happy I stuck to it." Skipper Rohit Rajpal was quick to point out how Mukund has taken some really long strides in terms of improving his overall tennis. "From the last time I have seen Sasi, he has moved up at least two levels physically. And in his game, the kind of intensity he has got on the ball going, I see a lot of good movement happening on the ball.

"I hope from here on, he can really build. And if he keeps improving, another couple of levels, I don't see no reason why he can reach top 100." Ramkumar Ramanathan, who doubled India's lead with some solid serving, said all the hard work done in the training camp paid off on Saturday.

He also admitted that going into the match with a 1-0 lead allowed him to play freely.

"It was good that Mukund started off really well. I heard from Toshu (coach Ashutosh Singh) that he had a few close games, the first couple of games. Don't know why. I think that really could have, you know, helped him.

"He's playing sharp and physically he's doing good. When you run away with the score, that gives you the confidence and then that translates to the start of the second match also, when I get into the court, you know, it's 6-1, 6-1 or 6-2, 6-2 and I have to play. So, it helps a lot.

“The last 10-20 days, what I've been working came today and obviously, it's good but it's still not over.”

Updated 22:26 IST, February 1st 2025