Indian tennis scene seems perched at an uncomfortable crossroad

There was, in a sense, a certain amount of symbolism in Chiradeep Mukherjea's facile win over Australian Brian Benson in last fortnight's Indian Open Satellite Tennis Tournament at Calcutta's South Club. The comparatively unattractive prize money - Benson received Rs 3,325 as runner-up - and the glaring absence of any players of international repute has reduced the Indian tennis circuit to a tragic farce.

This year, with the Indian Open having been scrapped and major tennis tournaments pruned down to a mere 17, the Indian tennis scene seems perched at an uncomfortable crossroad. Firstly the biggest foreign name the All India Lawn Tennis Association (AILTA) had was Benson and the two Americans, Rich Flach and Scott Kidd-all three virtual unknowns on the international tennis scene. The additional fact that the Satellite Tournament, which is considered a stepping stone to the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Volvo and Grand Prix tournaments, has Nandan Bal as top seed, is a dismal commentary on the status that the Indian circuit has earned over the years.

At one time, it was possible for Indian tennis fans to bask in the reflected glory of Nastase, Thomas Koch, Tom Gorman, Raul Ramirez and of course the Amritraj brothers. But that is history. And the rot has started seeping down to the Amritrajs of tomorrow. "The circuit is getting stale," says Balram Singh, a circuit veteran, "you don't enjoy tennis anymore and neither do top players like Vijay, Anand, Shashi (Menon) bother to participate. That means that none of the top class foreigners are interested either."

Poor Organisation:But much of the griping from Indian circuit hopefuls is directed at the AILTA and the organisational hassles that make playing in the Indian circuit a frustrating experience. And, in the long run, scotches any talent that may be available. "The way Indian tennis is run is a disgrace," storms Shyam Minotra, former Davis Cupper and the secretary' of the recently-resurrected Tennis Players' Association of India. "It has become routine to be elected and re-elected as the office bearers of the AILTA thus maintaining a never-ending monopoly."

Certainly, a close look at the organisational aspect of the Indian tennis circuit indicates why veteran has-beens like Jaideep Mukherjea and Premjit Lall are still winning tournaments, while no youngster worth the name (with the possible exception of Shankar Krishnan) has made any waves. For instance, none of the players is provided with the train fare, as was the case earlier.