Six-time Grand Slam winner Boris Becker said that he believes that India could produce the players who can play in the singles quarterfinals at Grand Slams, says a report in The Hindu.
“One of the all-time greats of the game, who had sensationally won Wimbledon when he was 17 in 1985, the German recalled Ramesh Krishnan a fascinating player. He also recalled that it was Vijay Amritraj who had nick-named him “Boom Boom”. Becker suggested that the key to having more champions across many disciplines was to have the right schooling programme, and said that is what it would take for India to win medals at the Olympics the way China in,” says the report.
Meanwhile, Deccan Chronicle reports that Becker’s powerful and well-placed serve, that earned him the nickname Boom Boom from none other than Vijay Amritraj.
“At 16, I became a pro and one day I was practising with Vijay. He was very talkative and told me he had never seen anybody hit the ball so hard and started calling me ‘Boom Boom’. That’s how I got my nickname,” he said.
Becker praised Roger Federer and called him an exceptional player. “There are a plethora of players who have excelled. Tennis has a rich history but I think Roger Federer is untouched, with 17 Grand Slam titles. He is a family man, speaks five languages and has a successful business,” he said.
On India’s chances of producing Grand Slam champions, he said, “I don’t think it is impossible. India is a sport-loving country and children are interested in tennis. I played against Ramesh Krishnan, Mahesh Bhupathi... they were all talented. But why should it not be possible now?”