Manas Dhamne takes 'confidence' from first ATP Challenger final run and learnings for the future

NEW DELHI: Manas Dhamne has had things going in a linear trajectory for him. An M15 tournament win in Zahra, Kuwait in February. Wildcards into the Miami Open and Madrid Open qualifying rounds. And surges in the ATP Challengers while trying to break through the bigger obstacles. While navigating this journey around the globe, he's got IMG Tennis for representation; coaches from the famed Piatti Tennis Centre to sharpen his game and physical prowess; but, most importantly, a steady and mature head on his shoulders.

"I think I'm just lucky, you know, to have a great team around me. Great coaches, great manager, also my family. They never say anything regarding tennis," said Dhamne in a virtual media interaction.





"They let the coaches do what they have to do and they try to help me from the outside part of like emotionally. So it's just, I'm very lucky to have a great team and family with me that brought me up like this."

These were very composed words for someone who had just a few hours back lost his first-ever ATP Challenger final in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. The 18-year-old finished runner-up to Belgium's Buvaysar Gadamauri, going down 6-7, 4-6.

The latest run has taken him to World No. 384, climbing 60 places in the ladder, and become the second-highest men's singles player for India (behind Sumit Nagal who is World No. 276).

On court, he, and rest of the pack, had a challenging time battling a variety of conditions. Rain and wind of the semi-finals was replaced by perfect weather for the final. Albeit, the outcome was different to what he had hoped. Yet, Dhamne took confidence from his first-ever run to an ATP Challenger tournament. Before this, his best showing was making the quarterfinals in Pune and Bengaluru earlier this year.

"This week gives me a lot of confidence. Really positive week. And I will try to take the learnings and hope to execute it in the next tournaments I play," Dhamne said with next assignments being an ITF M25 in Santa Margherita di Pula (Italy) followed by an ATP Challenger in Oeiras (Portugal).

What are the next obvious steps in Dhamne's journey?

"I would say the main thing is the fitness because I mean, it's also a bit natural that as you grow older, especially in these teenage years, it's going to come naturally a bit, but also you're working a lot," concluded Dhamne.

"And tennis-wise, I feel it's the same kind of same tennis, but it's just I'm doing the same things better, the execution is better. I'm more aggressive, trying to be more courageous, trying to take more shots. But I still feel the tennis has to be the same. I don't have to change things. I have to just try to do it better and better, the same things. And also know how to use it in the match, when to use it and how to use it in the match.

"And I feel I just have to keep building my courage to go for it more and more and to be more aggressive, to keep doing the same things better and better."
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