Clay is not his preferred surface, but Yuki Bhambri says that he is ready for the French Open challenge and staying patient during long rallies will be the key for his maiden campaign at Roland Garros.
Yuki broke back into the top-100, just ahead of the French Open cut-off date, earning a direct entry into the main draw, in the second major of the season, for the first time in his career. He had played the qualifiers of the clay court Grand Slam, back in 2015, losing in the second round.
“I will play the warm-up event in Geneva (last red clay event before French Open). Also, I will reach there one week before (to get acclimatised). The traditional French Open courts are not that slow, compared to other clay courts. I have nothing to lose,” Yuki said, on the sidelines of an event to showcase the French Open singles trophies.
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“The movement and getting used to sliding will be crucial. I have to stay patient during long rallies. That will be the key. You have to play 3-4-5 shots before you to set up point,” the 25-year-old, who was presented a luxury Longines watch by the Swiss-based company, said.
Yuki, ranked 83, still has some hard court events to play in Korea, before he gets into the clay court events. “I want to push rankings hard,” Yuki, nominated by AITA for the Arjuna award, said.
Asked about the recent findings of suspecting wide-spread match-fixing at lower level tournaments, Yuki said, "There are not many details. However, every sport has its problem. There is no sport which does not have its own set of issues. The authorities have done a good job by keeping tennis clean.” The Delhi lad said that he has not come across any Indian involved in corruption.
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