Australian Open diary: The puppetry of Alcaraz and why Rohan Bopanna deserves all the love in this world
After five-straight first-round exits, Bopanna scripted his best ever run at an Australian Open.
The crowd waited with anticipated breath. Alexander Zverev, up two sets to none, was serving for the match. Their favourite, and overwhelmingly so, Carlos Alcaraz had endured the most forgettable one hour of the Australian Open men's quarterfinal. In the first set, the world No. 2 had committed 10 unforced errors, allowing Zverev to single handedly place himself on the cusp of victory. The brand of tennis Alcaraz played was so disastrous that an unpredicted straight-set defeat seemed imminent. A funereal hush had descended upon the Rod Laver Arena as Zverev went 5-3 up. Something was amiss about Alcaraz the whole time, but in the game that could have ended his hopes, is where the Spaniard shook Sasha's momentum for the first time in the match.
Alcaraz goes 30-0 up, for the first time in this contest but a couple of aces from Zverev evens it up. A long rally results in the German hitting the nets before a crosscourt forehand followed by a splendid volley triggers Alcaraz's unbelievable comeback. The near-15000 present at the iconic venue which did not move an inch until then, erupted in unison. Alcaraz had answered the cry. He was in for another set. It didn't matter if it was 10.30 in the night. It didn't matter if it got freezing cold, or that the legendary Rod Laver himself was in attendance. Alcaraz, considered by many the heir to Rafael Nadal, had one more set left in him.
His sheer ability to hold the crowd at the palm of his hands for a 20-year-old is pure sorcery. Every time he lost a point, there were screams of anguish; each time he won one, they turned into ecstasy. The corporate box, which this writer was part of, was heavily-sided in favour of Alcaraz barring one, whose constant egging on of Zverev after each point might have, to a newcomer, given them the impression that he was the coach of the World No. 6. But this one overenthusiastic gentleman aside – his almost-breathless 'Come on Sash, we got this' kept ringing in the ears long after the game was over – it was 80-20 in favour of Alcaraz.
Seated in the same box are Bollywood actors Saiyami Kher and Aparshakti Khurrana, and their constant friendly banter with the 'most-vocal' Zverev supporter becomes a source of entertainment in an otherwise tense-yet-exciting stretch of three hours and six minutes. Of course, Alcaraz fell short – his defeat even labelled as an upset by many – and the crowd eventually applauded and paid their respect to Zverev. But throughout those 186 minutes, the pure adrenaline rush, mood switches and emotional outbursts the public experienced based on Alcaraz's roller-coaster was a sight to behold.
Admire, cherish and savour Bopanna
This message goes out to every sports fan in the world: You must experience at least one Grand Slam match in your life to understand the spectacle of it. It will spark something off in you. For this writer, the six hours spent at the Australian Open on Wednesday did exactly that. As a group of dignitaries, following a sumptuous lunch at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground and some time spent on its hallowed turf, made its way to the Melbourne Park, the 15-minute walk changed the entire narrative. The behind-the-scenes activities of the AO is as riveting as the event tournament itself, and as expected, has its perks. It's all fun and games until the mood changes… for the better.
Rohan Bopanna has just walked into the player's area. A couple of hours ago, news had broken in India that the 43-year-old reached an unprecedented high in his career by becoming the oldest No.1-ranked doubles player in the world. It's bloody huge and let no one tell you otherwise. World No. 1 is not a joke. A colleague stands frozen at the mere sight of Bopanna even though he is at least 100 meters away. A couple of folks travelling with the Visit Victoria contingent are kind enough to later introduce us scribes to the legend himself, where he briefly talks about his next opponents – Zhang Zhichen of China and Czechoslovakia's Tomas Machac. After all, the man is a legend, and is still getting better at a time when players are happily retired for 3-4 years. After Sumit Nagal's exit, hopes were pinned on Bopanna and he continued to deliver.
After five-straight first-round exits, he scripted his best ever run at an Australian Open. Down 1-3 in the second-set tie-break, a discussion with his partner Matthew Ebden lit a revival. Two more wins and Bopanna can become the oldest-ever Grand Slam winner. Imagine how important it will be for Indian tennis to have a World No.1 in doubles – by Bopanna's own admission – considering the recent departures of some of the stalwarts such as Leander Paes and Sania Mirza? To answer the question, plenty. And it's about time Bopanna is celebrated as some of our other beloved sporting icons. The Aussies know it – a huge chunk of the Australian public was seen riding high on Bopanna's success (and not because Ebden is from Western Australia). Why can't we?
In a perfect world, despite no days off, Bopanna and Ebden should go past the unseeded duo. Neither Bopanna nor his partner – at 36 – is a spring chicken. From turning pro in 2003 to winning the 2017 French Open title to doing nothing for four months at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic to finally reaching the semifinal in Melbourne. Salute to Indian tennis's living legend, if there was ever any.
It wasn't too long ago that Sumit Nagal became the nation's dearest when he defeated Alexander Bublik in the first round – the first ever to beat a seeded opponent at a Grand Slam since 1989 – but the joy was short-lived after he fell to JC Shang in the next. Let Bopanna's – irrespective of what happens today – result in the same. Admire it, cherish it, savour it. You'll miss it when it's gone.