Ramkumar Ramanathan has no regrets over missing out on history

A win could have etched his name into the Indian tennis folklore, but Ramkumar Ramanathan, who missed out on a maiden ATP title, is not ready to cry over a missed chance and he would rather savour the invaluable moment of reaching his first ATP World Tour final.

The world number 115 became the first Indian, since Somdev Devvarman seven years ago, to advance to the singles final of an ATP World Tour event, when he beat Tim Smyczek of America 6-4, 7-5, to book his place in the summit clash. He however missed out on a piece of history losing 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, to another American Steven Johnson in a rain-delayed Hall of Fame final.

“I was disappointed for not winning the final but it is tough to reach this far. I just fell short. I will watch the match (recording) again and see (what went wrong) but it’s a learning experience. And nothing can buy this moment, so I will take positives out of it,” said Ramkumar to PTI from Newport.

It has been 20 years since Leander Paes – the last Indian to win an ATP singles trophy – had lifted the Hall of Fame tournament in 1998.

Twenty-three-year-old Ramkumar, was not in great form coming into the tournament, having lost consecutive first-round matches in four different matches, but went on to record his best run in any competition.

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The runner-up finish in Newport has helped him jump 46 places high to a career-best rank of 115 on Monday. He earned 150 points which means now there is a realistic chance for him to earn himself a maiden Grand Slam entry.

“I had some tough days before this but I am trying to be more calm and focused. I now meditate every morning and it helps in staying calm in tough situations. It helps in keeping things under control, said the boy from Chennai.

“I regularly took yoga and meditation classes when I was 12-13 years old but then I stopped. Now for the past one year I have added it to my routine and it does make a huge difference to my game. I am not putting myself under pressure now.

“I have been working on it and try to stay fresh and keep 100 percent energy on the court. The second round the match against Denis Kundla (at Newport) was tough but I remained composed. Then Leander Paes was also watching from the stands and supported me. Sanjay sir also guided me. These little things also helped me stay mentally strong,” he added

Ramkumar has however agreed to play in the Asian Games, which is most likely to clash with the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the season.

“It’s okay. Playing for India is also important. It’s just one week. It’s prestigious, a big opportunity. I will give my best to win a medal for India. I always wanted to play Asian Games,” he said.

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He has four runner-up finishes in the last 15 months but for Ramkumar his biggest moment was when he defeated the then World No. 8 Dominic Thiem at the Antalya Open.

“It was not easy beating top-10 player Thiem,” he says. That win gave me the self-belief that I can play well against anyone. My coaches back in Spain, Emilio Sanchez and Angel Gimenez, were telling me same things but that win really boosted my confidence.”

He also acknowledged all the people who have helped him become a better player.

“I thank my junior days coaches Chandrasekhar sir, Rajiv Naidu sir, Mr. Balasubramanian, his cousin Sundaram for supporting me and my coaches at Sanchez Casal Academy. And Indian Oil Corporation, without their support, this would not have been possible,” he concluded.