#3 Ramanathan Krishnan trounces Australian Open champion, Roy Emerson
The path-breaker for Indian tennis – Ramanathan Krishnan notched up one of his and Indian tennis’ most memorable wins at the 1961 Wimbledon Championships. Krishnan wasn’t an unheralded player, though. The Indian had made quite a name for himself having reached the semi-finals on the hallowed grass lawns of SW19 the previous year and that had earned him the seventh seeding in 1961.
But the magnitude of this particular win was what stands out. He met the reigning Australian Open champion Roy Emerson – who would eventually become a 12-time Major winner – in the quarter-finals that year.
The effortless ease and sublime tennis with which he trounced the future World No. 1, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals for the second straight year was what caught the attention of the world.
“Surprisingly Krishnan beat Emerson in straight sets. This was one of the best matches Krishnan ever played at Wimbledon. He turned Emerson’s speed to his own advantage and directed his shots with a magical caress to those parts of the court where Emerson wasn’t,” Sify.com quoted one critic saying.
Not surprisingly, Krishnan’s success inspired a generation of tennis players from India, who carved out a niche for themselves in the sport.
