Khachanov ends Djokovic’s run
From the quarterfinals onwards, by far, Karen Khachanov’s Tennis was the best Paris saw in the ATP Masters of 2018. Khachanov [Pronounced Kha-cha-nov] entered the event as the 45th-ranked unseeded player. A Russian with Armenian roots is 22-years of age and 6’6” tall. His idol is big, hard-serving Marat Safin, another tall past player of Russia.
Khachanov produced formidable Tennis, beating John Isner in the pre-quarters, Alexander Zeverev in the quarters, Dominic Thiem in the semifinals and Djokovic in the finals. Khachanov’s strokes have clean lines, even at high speed, to strike the ball with maximum impact. Opponents could not reach his winners, moving well, he got to every ball very comfortably and showed how good he is at Net many times. His win against Djokovic is the 4th straight victory he has had over Top 10 in the world in recent times. So, beating Djokovic was not a one-off. The title win in Paris takes him to 11-ranked in the world. He may appear in the London ATP finals in a week’s time, if another drops off. Signs are, he could become another dream-time Tennis player, if he can last.
Khachanov was one of the New-Gen player a year ago in Milan, Italy. The critical step up of the game from a Junior level to Professional Tennis standard does not happen to everyone. Too many factors come into play in acquiring the needed aspects. The ability to withstand mental stress, physical strain and tactical capacity of a matured professional player is a noticeable challenge to a newcomer. This has to happen before a young player loses steam in sustaining Tennis. This is why many young players’ names appear with a bang and fade away, never to be heard again.
Khachanov has to sustain that class of Tennis for another 10 years, to be known, and that is another ball game. His sporting background, physical presence, tactical understanding and enduring powers have to match, to become a big name in Tennis. In the history of the game, there has been a very few in the likes of Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors, Rod Laver, Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. Millions take up the game annually. Khachanov’s fame run has just began.
Djokovic is No.1
In one of the two semifinals in Paris, Federer played Djokovic for the 48th time. Comparing the quality of Tennis they produced in their early encounters, this was schoolboy stuff. Djokovic is 31 and Federer 37. Their Tennis is not going to get better. What’s more, physically, both are nursing themselves.
This loss of Djokovic to Khachanov also ends his 22-match-winning streak he has had from this year’s Wimbledon. However, reaching the finals at the Paris indoors, he went up to be No.1 last Monday, displacing Nadal. Nadal and Argentina’s Del Potro have already withdrawn from the London ATP finals with knee injuries .
ATP’s New-Gen promotion
Any new name is a welcome prospect for ATP’s immediate future. Of the few New-Gen players, Alexander Zverev of Germany and Dominic Thiem of Austria are two survivors in the professional open circuit. ATP will be delighted with Karen Khachanov. He has come through ATP’s talent ID program of New-Gen.
There is an annual event for the New-Gen players in Milan Italy. There the focus is on players around 20 years of age. This year, four New-Gen players of last year have come into the top 25 of the ATP ranking. Borna Coric of Croatia, Daniil Medvedev and Karen Khachanov of Russia and Korea’s Hyeon Chung who won the New-Gen title last year. Currently Chung is 25 in the ranking. Khachanov’s win in Paris, gives ATP’s New-Gen program credibility.
ATP Final’s in London
The confirmed names for the event are Serbian Novak Djokovic, Switzerland’s Roger Federer, Germany’s Alexander Zverev, South Africa’s Kevin Anderson, Croatian Marin Cilic, Austrian Dominic Thiem, Japan’s Kei Nishikori and USA’s John Isner. The event itself is a big purse affair, with the total prize money in the region of US$ 8.5 million. Considering only 8 will participate, proportionally, all are bound to go home rich. It is the final event of the gruelling professional tour of 64 events in 31 countries over 11 months.
Originally, before the formation of the ATP in 1972, the International Tennis Federation [ITF] was the only global Tennis body. It did not have anything in this scale. Just a few events were held in a few countries, during the ITF’s administration, which is now 105-years-old. The 3 past players who started it are USA’s Jack Kramer and Donald Dell, and South Africa’s Cliff Drysdale. Dell was a lawyer and was the first to represent and manage Tennis players in the world. He had Arthur Ashe, Stan Smith, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl under his management.
2018 Milan
The New-Gen event kicked off on November 6. The lineup would come up with good Tennis. The qualification for it is through the Men’s ranking. A policy every National body should adopt in player development. Having a Junior ranking in the present context is not a fruitful development strategy. Times have changed.
George Paldano, Former int. player; Accredited Coach of German Federation; National coach Sri Lanka
& Brunei, Davis-Cup, Federation Cup captain/coach — contact 94 77 544 8880 geodano2015@gmail.com -