Wimbledon History: Arnav Papakar becomes first Indian to reach men’s singles quarterfinals in 36 years since Leander Paes Tennis News
Arnav Papakar took a quieter route. He climbed the ladder step by step, starting with lower-level international competitions in India, then moving on to the Asian circuit and eventually to higher-level competitions. The 18-year-old started competing in Grand Slam junior events this year, his final season in the category, and has improved with each tournament. That steady rise reached a landmark moment on Wednesday when Papakar became the first Indian in 36 years to reach the men’s singles quarterfinals at Wimbledon. Leander Pace Received this title in 1990.The 6-foot-1 Indian, ranked 19th in the junior rankings, defeated Japan’s Ryo Tabata 6-2, 6-1 in 52 minutes to advance to the quarterfinals, where he will face American qualifier Jordan Lee. Papaka will be looking to turn the tide against Lee, having failed in their previous two meetings, including the most recent clash at J300 Roehampton in June.Yuki Bhambri won the Australian Junior Open title in 2009 and reached the quarter-finals of the US Open the same year and remains the last Indian before Papakar to reach the quarter-finals of a junior Grand Slam. Tabata had beaten Papaka twice before, including once after the Indian led 5-2 in the final set with five match points, but his fitness was not at its best. As the match wore on, his serve struggled and he eventually stopped extending his range around the court.“That match was in my mind. I was like, I can’t lose like that again. I’m a lot better mentally now, a lot calmer…I told myself, it doesn’t matter, it’s just a tennis match,” Papaka said with a smile.Papaka is aware of the physical condition of Japanese players.“I realize his serve is difficult, but sometimes players feel better during the match, so I just focus on what I can do during the match,” he added.Papaka once again had an impressive serving performance, hitting eight aces and scoring 23 of his 25 points on his first serve. His fastest serve speed of the day was 208 km/h in the second set, while his average first serve speed was 196 km/h.The Indian has two training bases, one in his hometown Pune where he trains with Hemant Bendre and the other at Soto Academy in Spain where he trains under the guidance of Nigel Beavers. Papaka credits Bendre with helping improve his serve by adjusting his mechanics.“If you see my swing now is slower and fuller, my coach told me in April that it’s best to start working on it now because it will prevent injury,” he said. “It gives me a better rhythm and brings more consistency.”
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