JOIN USA fit again Yuki Bhambri is eager to assert himself on the competitive circuit, and hopes to play his part in the Asia-Oceania Davis Cup tie against New Zealand, beginning on Friday.
Injuries have pegged back the progress of the talented Delhi player, who had broken into the top-100 and reached a career high ranking of 88 in 2015. A painful tennis elbow resulted in his absence from the circuit for six months, sending his ranking tumbling to 368.
Yuki, however, is ready to begin again. A good run in the Chennai Open, where he made it to the second round, beating Ramkumar Ramanathan in the opening round, and then making to the final round of the Australian Open qualifiers, has given him confidence.
“It was tough to be not playing, but now I am glad to be back in the team and playing for the country. I had worked on my fitness during the absence, working on my legs a bit more. In November I trained with a few Asian players in Thailand, and that really helped as well. The groundstrokes are coming well and I am moving well. I am eager to return to the competitive fold,” Yuki told Deccan Herald.
Despite the low rankings Yuki remained India’s best singles player and also the most experienced, following the retirement of Somdev Devvarman.
“It was definitely easier with Somdev being around, to have someone more experienced. You are then looked upon as second fiddle, and you can focus on winning your matches. Here despite not being too old, I am seen as the more experienced because of my past Davis Cup stints. So now you not only have to focus on winning your matches but helping others win as well,” he said.
Yuki felt winning on the opening day would be the key in the tie, slated for a 3.00 pm start. “New Zealand are a tough side. But if we played to our potential, we should be okay. The first day would be most important. If we could win this tie, it would be a great confidence booster for a young side like ours,” he said.