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Divij Sharan is a 27-year old from New Delhi who is finally reaping the rewards of a long professional career in Tennis. Recently, he played his first grand slam main draw match alongside Purav Raja when the pair qualified for the event through the Roehampton draw.
Sharan also made the third round at Newport, playing with Croatian Ivo Karlovic to consolidate his place in the top 100 men in doubles. Divij is currently ranked 84th in the world and is looking to build on his early success with Purav on the doubles tour. Catching up with Anand Datla of Sportskeeda, Divij was forthright and earnest in his responses. Read on.
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Divij – many congratulations to Purav and you on your first foray into a grand slam event. We were also delighted to see you notch a couple of spirited victories at the Hall of Fame Championships in Newport.
Sportskeeda: First up, please tell us a little about how the partnership with Ivo Karlovic came about at Newport.
Divij Sharan: Purav and I were playing a tournament in Braunschweig, Germany after the week at Wimbledon when we got to know that we made the cut at Bogota, Colombia. It was our first entry into a tour event together so we decided on coming back to India and getting our Colombian visa sorted. I was able to apply for my visa earlier and got my passport back on Monday morning. That gave me the opportunity to sign in on-site and try getting into one of the tour events that week.
I called up the ATP representative in Newport and told him I was looking for a partner. Ivo was looking too. So we got in touch and decided to sign in together. I travelled Monday night and got there on Tuesday. We played our first round match on Wednesday, so it was a frantic start to the week.
SK: Two sensational matches, both in tense match breakers. 11-9 in the first round and 19-17 to win in the second round. Please talk us through those matches.
DS: It was tough to start with as Ivo and I were playing together for the very first time. But we gelled better as the matches progressed.
It took us a while to realise that we had actually come back from 4-9 to win the match tiebreak 11-9 in the first round.
The match tie break in the 2nd round was also very intense where both teams kept winning points on their serves from 9 all until 17-18, when we finally won a point on their serve to win the match.
SK: Karlovic is a giant around the court. How did you adapt yourself to working with him on the court?
DS: I think both of us brought our strengths to the table. It is tough to bring about a lot of tactics and strategies when you are playing together for the first time, so we kept things simple.
As far as his build is concerned, it was only an advantage to have him on my side of the court.
SK: Can you tell us about your experiences at Wimbledon?
DS: This was my first grand slam appearance and it was all the more special because it was Wimbledon. The world’s best players were around; we were given the best treatment. Thousands of people came to watch the game. I played well and enjoyed my match.
SK: You had the match under control when you were leading 2-0. How did the match turn so suddenly?
DS: We usually play two set matches with no-ad scoring and match tie break at one set all on the tour. It was a different experience playing a best of 5 set match. The guys we played are a good team. They recently won a tour event at Bastad. (Nicholas Monroe / Simon Stadler)
In the match at Wimbledon, the energy levels shifted a bit in the 3rd set and they made a few changes in their game plan. Once they won the 3rd set, they gained confidence and were back in the match. The fifth set was pretty close where they converted their break point opportunities while we couldn’t.
SK: What do you think were the key differences between the grass at Roehampton and Wimbledon?
DS: The grass courts at Roehampton are pretty nice but Wimbledon is a class apart. Play-ability wise I felt the courts at Roehampton were slightly faster than the ones at Wimbledon.
SK: Purav and you are a relatively new pair. When did the two of you realise that the partnership has big game potential?
DS: Well we have been playing together for almost a year now. Both of us are serious about doubles and have been working towards getting better.
Sharan: Aiming high
SK: Divij, you were running a successful partnership with Vishnu Vardhan for many years. What prompted the separation last year after the victory in Bangkok?
DS: Vishnu is a really close friend and we’ve had a great run playing doubles together for many years. In fact I made my Davis Cup debut partnering him against New Zealand in 2012. I have also had a successful stint with Yuki for a while last year, but both of them are still focused on singles. They have had to play particular tournaments keeping in mind their singles ranking, which would not have necessarily helped my doubles ranking.
SK: You are currently ranked inside the top 100 and Purav isn’t too far behind inside the 120 mark. As a partnership, what are your plans and goals for the year?
DS: Our current goal is to make the cut for the US Open and be inside top 70 by the end of the year so that we can target to play all the majors and most of the tour events next year.
SK: Can you discuss a little about the economic side of being a doubles player on the challenger circuit? Are the rewards adequate to meet expenses and make a decent living?
DS: Doubles doesn’t pay so well specially at the Challenger and Futures level. One would have to make finals of a challenger to break even. The goal is to do well in the Challenger circuit and to move on to the tour events and grand slams where you can actually make a living by playing doubles.
SK: Please tell us about your support team.
DS: My tennis career is a result of a lot of people’s effort and support. My family has played a massive role in me pursuing my dream.
My coach Aditya Sachdeva, trainer Nasir Ahmad and physio Vimal Sharma work hard with me for me to be able to compete in all the tournaments I play. All the trainers and coaches I have worked with in the past are also very supportive and are always there to motivate and guide me.
SK: Do you have sponsors? And what kind of financial support does AITA provide to help your life on the road?
DS: I don’t have any sponsors and fund my trips on my own. I am on the pay rolls of Indian Oil Corporation and that is a big help towards my expenses.
SK: You are 27 now, having spent close to 20 years working around tennis courts. Please reflect on your dreams and your career so far.
DS: I love playing tennis. If given a choice, I don’t think I would have lived my life any other way. I have had the opportunity to represent India and travel extensively all over the world. I have consistently been moving up in the rankings and hope to make it to the top very soon.
SK: What is the planned schedule in the next few months of the hard court season?
DS: I am playing a tour event in Bogota this week. I plan to play ATP challengers in and around US in the coming few weeks. My schedule for later will depend on how I do in these tournaments.
Good luck Divij. We have been really touched by the honesty in your responses. It was an absolute pleasure speaking with you. Sporstkeeda wishes you a successful season ahead and let us hope that you get inside high enough to enjoy a full season on the tour next year.
