Skew of Fascination: Big 4 vs Indian singles

A 26-year-old who was destined to be the oldest player to win a Major title took to the court in 2006 against a giant of the game. Rohan Bopanna had dropped only one set to make it to the main draw at Halle as a qualifier. The Kannadiga’s first-round opponent? Three-time defending champion, and the first member of the Big 4, Roger Federer.

In theory, the results weren’t surprising. The King of Grass won the match in straight sets in 71 minutes. But Federer wasn’t left entirely unperturbed. Not many could hit more aces in a match against the Swiss on grass, and not many would leave a mark by winning a higher percentage of first-serve points. Perhaps the most startling number of these was Bopanna’s ability to save nine of the eleven break-point opportunities created by the eventual champion of the tournament. By the end of the 132-point tussle, the notion that an Indian singles player could stand up against a Big 4 member infused a new hope in men’s singles tennis.

At the height of the Fedal rivalry, another name that drew attention in Indian tennis was Karan Rastogi. Notable for holding the No.1 national ranking from the U12 to the U18 age group, Rastogi earned a main draw wildcard at the 2007 Chennai Open (then a part of the ATP International series). For someone ranked just inside the Top 500, he did make the most of the opportunity presented to him, taking down the higher-ranked Thiago Alves (#108) in straight sets. Another reward awaited him; a second-round clash against Rafael Nadal.

An account of the match in Rastogi’s words can be read here. The event was one of a kind for two things. Not often do we see Rafa Nadal not win a title as the top seed in a tournament of that tier, and not often is the second seed (David Nalbandian) the winner of a wooden spoon.

Big 4 vs India: Second decade of the 21st century

Four years after his match against Rastogi, Nadal faced another Indian. This was a player who had experienced the thrill of facing a Big 4 player just a month back when he lost 6-3 6-3 to Federer in Dubai. It was a day when the Tripuri’s return game was in shambles. But a month later when the stakes were as high as a Masters event and the opponent was someone like Nadal, the young Indian’s ebullient style of play was expected to flourish.

Young Somdev Devvarman had pierced his way from the qualifying rounds to the main draw of Indian Wells. Devvarman had just entered the Top 100 of the ATP rankings and he got the better of Marcos Baghdatis (19th seed) and Xavier Malisse (champion of the 2007 Chennai Open) to set up a Round of 16 clash against the second seed.

It was one of the most intriguing matchups from an Indian perspective. For the first time the Rafa Nadal serve was broken by an Indian player. Devvarman managed to land more first serves in, though trailing in the effectiveness of it. He won 61 of the 140 points they played in a straight sets match that saw nearly two hours of enthralling tennis. Devvarman managed to get inside the Top 75 of the ATP rankings following a memorable run.

Nadal vs Devvarman at 2011 Indian Wells

The match against Nadal was enough for the Indian tennis fans to believe that that was surely not the last of Devvarman that they would witness. The same year, right before the US Open swing Devvarman touched his peak ATP ranking of #62. A direct entry to the main draw of the US Open pitched him against fourth seed Andy Murray.

In this first instance of an Indian facing a member of the Big 4 in a Major, it was heartening for the fans of the tricolor to see Devvarman convert three of the eight break points in the match. Murray’s clinical game on hard courts came afloat, resulting in the Brit winning the match 7-6 6-2 6-3 in two hours and thirty minutes. The conclusion of the match made 2011 the only year when an Indian player would face three of the Big 4 members in singles tour-level main draw matches.

Devvarman’s career was then a tale of ebbs and flows owing to the injuries he sustained. Within the next two years, he dropped outside the Top 150 but managed to stay relevant as someone who showed a warrior’s instinct of bouncing back. As a result, 2013 marked the year where he faced Federer and Novak Djokovic in the same calendar year.

The grind of Devvarman against his opponents on hard courts was what made his matches look forward to. It wasn’t a routine for Indian fans to see their player rake up main draw match wins in Masters events. In 2013, he won two such opening-round matches at the Miami Masters to face top seed Novak Djokovic. While the results weren’t in the Indian’s favor, the run was enough for him to climb his way back inside the Top 250.

The match against Federer was at Roland Garros. It was the first and the only instance of an Indian tennis player against a member of the Big 4 on a clay court. As a qualifier, he did a decent job of trouncing two seeded players in the qualifying draw, before overcoming a fellow qualifier in the opening round of the main draw. While the run was promising, the scoreline of 2-6 1-6 1-6 was far from encouraging for Devvarman. This also made Federer the only member of the Big 4 to play Indian players in singles on all three surfaces.

Devvarman vs Federer at 2013 French Open

By the end of the 2013 season, Devvarman had marked a successful return to the Top 100. However, after the 2014 grass-court season, he struggled with form. In Shenzhen, he faced Murray yet again on a hard court. Despite winning a greater number of points on the second serve return, Devvarman was outnumbered by the second seed in 82 minutes.

As Devvarman’s career entered a phase of gradual dissent, all eyes turned to Melbourne 2015, where Yuki Bhambri took out Evgeny Donskoy, Yoshihito Nishioka, and Chase Buchanan in the qualifying draw of the Australian Open. Bhambri was drawn against Murray. As a World No.317, Bhambri displayed a spirited show of skills in a match that went to the World No.6, 6-3 6-4 7-6.

India’s latest fixture against a member of the Big 4 came in 2019 when Sumit Nagal (World No.190 at that point) made it to the main draw of the US Open as a qualifier. He was up against Federer, who even in the twilight of his career was ranked No.3. Broadcast viewership sky-rocketed when Nagal became the first-ever Indian to take a set off the Big Four. The zest of the opening set was however short-lived. Despite nearly matching the Swiss on the second serve return, Federer won the next three sets dropping only seven games.

While results never swayed the way of Indians against the Big 4, the lucid intervals at which these fixtures were played continued to have an impact on young Indian tennis players. These matches served as a moment of reflection for the players and coaches, and instances for introspection for the managing bodies to understand the status of singles tennis in India.