“I Love the City, I Love the Tournament”: Manas Dhamne on Making Maiden Challenger QF in Bengaluru
(Pic: Pramod Mani)
The crowd was pumped, the conditions were favourable, and Manas Dhamne was in his element. Playing in a city he loves and feeding off home support, the rising Indian star advanced to the Bangalore Challenger quarterfinals, his first at the Challenger level, with a win that required tactical adjustments and mental resilience. But this significant milestone in his budding career hasn’t distracted Dhamne, whose focus has already shifted forward. “It’s a good feeling to be in quarters,” he said. “I’m already trying to think about tomorrow’s match and the things I need to do.”
Full interview –
Manas (on the win): It’s a great feeling to reach the first quarter of a challenge, especially in Bangalore, a place I really love. I love the city, I love the tournament. It’s an amazing feeling.
Q: Because of the altitude, the conditions are a bit faster. Do you prefer faster conditions or slower conditions when you’re playing?
Manas: I felt that playing these two matches I preferred slow but I feel after these two matches maybe faster so after these two matches I don’t really have any preference.
Q: And there a lot of crowd support for you, how did you enjoy that? Do you feel more pressure playing in front of a home crowd or just cheering for you?
Manas: I love these moments, I feel like I play tennis to have these kinds of moments especially, you know, it was a really pumped atmosphere. I enjoyed it.
Q: You were here 12 months ago, you’re back now. What are the things that you’ve on in the last 5 months that you’ve seen difference on the court yourself? Like what are some of things that you’ve seen improve yourself in the last 5 months?
Manas: To be honest, I think everything. I feel I’m more faster, I’m serving better, better forehand, better backhand. So I would say just everything in general. Not only one thing.
Q: How have you played in these last few days and how do feel?
Manas: I mean, this match was not easy to play against him because there is not much rhythm. I mean, there were some rallies but not many. And also he was serving really well. So, yeah, I feel we have to try to adapt and, yeah, it’s, as you said, two matches in a row in Challenger was good.
Q: Also, was it your ploy? Because I noticed that because he has a big serve and you’re taking it deep, but when it comes to the second serve, you’re coming in. So was that part of your ploy?
Manas: Yeah, on first serve, because if I stayed in, I’m tall, but not that tall, because otherwise his serve would be over my head, I guess. And then again, I feel like if I stay back and I find a way to put the ball in, then I trust my physical abilities to cover the court after. His serve was bouncing so high because even if I was close to the fence I was hitting from high up, so imagine if I was at the base. So I mean it was not really a tactic, it was just something I needed to do because there was no other option.
Q: Are you going to play the rest of the Indian Challengers?
Manas: In February yes. Yeah Delhi, Pune, Chennai.
Q: So how much is it good in that like you have won two, you have reached the quarterfinals. I think this is your best as we discussed earlier, this is your best finish. How do you look into that aspect as well?
Manas: Yeah, mean, know, nothing is just a good feeling to be in quarters. I’m already trying to think about tomorrow’s match and the things I need to do. Yeah, in the end, it’s a quarters tomorrow, so again a new match, new day, and I try to give my best again tomorrow.
Q: Can you just go through the second set if possible? How was it all playing out?
Manas: Yes, I feel he played better for sure than the first set I think. And also I feel I started to serve a bit worse, I lost some percent and I don’t know, I was focused, I was playing, but I feel the two breaks that I lost, I lost both on 30 all and I did some mistakes which usually I don’t do. I think it was just a part of the focus, I got a bit distracted. And then I feel at 5-1 again, I could actually make a comeback because 5-3 and break point, but he did some good serves and 5-3 was new balls, so was tough to break.
Q: Today the passing shots were really good, backhand down the line and forehand down the line. Thoughts on that?
Manas: Yeah, there were some good passing shots and I think some were also important points. Passing shots is a kind of an instinct thing. I mean, practice of course, but it’s more of an instinct thing and I think I did it well today.
