The key is to keep knocking: Yuki Bhambri on building up the ammo to fire his way to the top

Pune: From playing the qualifiers for the Chennai Open in 2017 to getting direct main draw entry in Pune in 2018, it’s been a full circle for Yuki Bhambri in the last year. Or as the 25-year-old calls it, a rollercoaster.

It came to a brief halt when India’s top-ranked singles player squandered six break chances in his second-round loss to eighth seed Pierre-Hugues Herbert at the Tata Open Maharashtra on Wednesday. But there is a definite silver lining for the world No 118 at the venue where he has also lifted two Challenger trophies in 2015 and 2017. This time last year, he was ranked 474th in the world after missing a large chunk of the 2016 season with injury.

“For me it was pretty much starting from scratch, starting from qualifying at 500-400 in the world to starting all over again and being here in the main draw on my own ranking. To be able to play all the tournaments I wanted to play, to play in Grand Slams again, to be able to compete in the higher level tournaments, I think it’s a huge success. Now I can build upon it and really push my way up,” Bhambri told The Field on the sidelines of the ATP 250 tournament at the Balewadi Stadium in Pune.

An ATP ranking close to 100 is a safety net in tennis, especially for players who have to wade their way through the Challenger circuit for good part of the season. For the Indian, who has a career-high ranking of 88 in 2015, this gives him the freedom to go out and play his own game.

“In tennis, you work to play the big events, you work to play the Masters, the Grand Slams – the big stage. [A higher ranking means] you don’t have to worry about where to play next, the schedule is a lot clearer. When you are assured of that out, you go out there and play a bit more freely and knowing that that there will be another opportunity if it doesn’t go your way. That’s one area I think which I think helps mentally,” he said.

Ask him if he is pushing to enter he top-100 again – which he did when he won the Pune Challenger – he clarifies that his goals are much higher. “I want to do better than that, I think I am capable of doing better,” comes the candid reply. He is also just as candid when he says that he currently playing without a kit sponsor – “NO sponsor,” he says with a laugh – as was highlighted when he took the court with logos on his kit masked with tape.

The confidence is there, the game is good and getting better, and the opportunities are around the corner. Bhambri knows this very well, and in fact, is very self-aware when he talks about his three-set loss in Pune. He won the first set with an early break and had the chance to break the French doubles specialist six times in two consecutive games in the deciding set but the seeded player served his way out of the hole.

“I had my chances against Herbet… The goal is to try and improve in such moments. The difference between a top 20 player and say someone ranked 70-80 in the world is small. The half chances that you get, you have to take them, hopefully I can learn from this and take those,” Bhambri said.

It’s not that the 25-year-old has not had his fair share of big-match moments. In August 2017, he notched the biggest upset of his career when he beat former world No 8 and defending champion Gael Monfils 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 at Citi Open.

Bhambri reached his first ATP 500 event quarterfinal then in Washington, beating Stefan Kozlov in the first round, sixth seed Monfils, and Guido Pella and lost to eventual finalist Kevin Anderson.

“The win against Monfils was huge, for my confidence to win against such a good, classy player. When I made the quarterfinals and I lost, I was disappointed. I could have easily been happy just winning that match against Monfils but I think it showed how much confidence I had in my ability. It definitely helped me shape the second half of my season better. It showed playing in Pune as well,” he said, referring to the win against compatriot Ramkumar Ramanathan to lift the title.

Bhambri compares these victories and the opportunities to ammunition, with which he can fire his way to the top. “Small things here and there build up, eventually add into your confidence, your game and make you comfortable. All these matches you can play and win, load them up and ready to fire away,” he explains.

But perhaps the more insightful analogy he uses is that of a door – a threshold that needs to be broken through to reach his peak. “For me, the key is to keep knocking on the door and if I can do that, I can keep going higher up.”

The knocking here involves not only playing better tennis, but expanding his skill set and maintaining a certain endurance level. In Pune, it was evident that he was trying new variations in his serve and was mixing his groundstrokes well. He also tried to volley a lot more and improve his showing at the net; push his opponents beyond the baseline.

“It’s something I want to add in my game. I am very comfortable hitting from the baseline and moving around, so just try to win a bit more points on the net, finish off points faster. A few surprise tactic, something I want to get comfortable doing,” he elaborated on the new additions to his game.

But to be able to experiment, the top on his priority list is fitness. No stranger to frequent injuries, he now has his trainer Abhimanyu travelling with him. He looked to be in good shape in the singles and doubles matches he played, but it was hard not to notice the tapes and bandages all over as well as a strapped knee due to “a freak accident.”

“I am in the best shape that I have been and because I have had so much tennis and training behind me. I have been able to increase a lot of my time on the tennis court, increase my speed, endurance which eventually, all these bits and pieces add up and will really help me on court,” he added.

Another advantage he hopes to have is the presence of his coach Stephen Koon at big events. “He is going to try and come for at least a dozen important tournaments, the Slams and such. It’ll help me add some perspective after my games,” he said.

While he is still alive in doubles draw in Pune with partner Divij Sharan, the focus now will be on Australia. It was at Melbourne Park that he tasted his biggest success – when the former junior No 1 won the 2009 Australian Open juniors.

He has played at the main draw there as a senior several times before, running in to Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych. He laughs when reminded of his luck with the draw there, “I have had my share of playing top guys, I want someone lower this time. No Murray, Federer, Berdych, Nadal!”

But the goal for 2018 is to try and play more of the Grand Slams. “I think it is a realistic goal to try and play the French Open. To build on this and play as much and push forward.”

Realistic yes, but conditional to his fitness and form. If he can maintain both as he did in the latter of 2017, Bhambri can knock down the door he spoke of.