I was a proud Indian when I lifted Oz cup: Bhupathi

Ace tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi has done India proud by winning eleven Grand Slams for the country. With the crowning glory at Australian Open, Hesh-Sania has become the first Indian pair to a win a Grand Slam in mixed doubles. Bhupathi, along with Leander Paes, also has the distinction of reaching the finals of all the four Grand Slams. In a candid interview with Zeenews.com’s Himanshu Shekhar & Vaibhav Arora, the recipient of the Arjuna Award in 1996, talks about his game and his success mantra:How would you rate the victory at Melbourne Park? It is always a special feeling to lift a trophy at the podium and when it comes on a big stage like Grand Slams, it is incredible. We got good support from the crowd and the gathering there made us feel proud. Sania and I were proud Indians at that moment and those memories, gained in Rod Laver arena, will always be special. Being a wild card entrant in Oz Open, did you ever believe that you will reach this far? We never thought it that way. The plan was simple- to take each match as a new match and we continued to do so throughout the tournament. I believe seeding does not matter once the tournament begins, otherwise we would not have seen so many upsets. How do you rate Sania as a partner? Do I still need to answer that question after we have won the tournament? I mean every player has his/her strengths and weaknesses. Was there anything that you did to get the chemistry right? We both gelled together brilliantly and having known each other for quite some time now, it was easier to communicate. We covered each other pretty well and that’s the most important aspect of playing in doubles. Sania played great tennis and I think we will be a dangerous mixed doubles team in future as well. Scorching heat was a major factor at the tournament this year. Did that affect your game? Many of the players did face that heat, but conditions were pretty same for every one. In Grand Slams there are many factors which one has to worry about but our focus was on the game and every thing fell in place. You got richer by 1,34,460 Australian dollars, what are your immediate plans? (Laughs) Well … a bit of rest… probably for a couple of days and then there is the Dubai Open. So that is next target now. In doubles you lost to Bryan brothers… Well that’s right. They played exceptionally well against us. But it was a hard fought match and some points went against us. And they played better than us in the match, so deserved that victory. Any fitness worries before entering the jam packed season as you are next playing in Dubai? Well I am fighting fit right now. There are no injuries at the moment and hence I am keen to repeat the Australian Open success in the coming tournaments. Of course, there won’t be any mixed doubles with Sania at Dubai. The focus is there, but I would like to enjoy the game and once I am able to do it, the results will follow. Any aspect of the game which you would like to improve upon? Improving each single aspect of the game is a routine and the training which a player follows is just for that. I am a serve player and believe in finishing the game in short rallies. So it is a process which should never stop. Indian tennis has achieved some sort of a coup with many young faces coming on to the main stage. What can we expect in the future? It is heartening to see such young talent coming at the bigger stage. It is a transition phase and more the people can afford to play tennis the better it will be. There are some very good players and Yuki (Yuki Bhambri) leads the pack. Congrats Mahesh for you victory again and hope you bring more laurels to the country and be a role model for future stars. Thank You.