Gangjee ready to to move on at Panasonic Open

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI, Nov 3: Rahil Gangjee of India plans to avoid another heart break at the Panasonic Open India, which starts on Thursday, after taking several months to recover from last year’s play-off defeat.

Gangjee is still searching for a second Asian Tour victory since his first win in 2004 and came close to ending that title drought before losing to S.S.P. Chawrasia last year.

He will have a chance to erase those bitter memories when he contends for the US$400,000 Asian Tour event which is staged at the venerable Delhi Golf Club.

“It took me a few months to recover from that defeat and realign my thoughts,” said Gangjee. “It was a chance for me to win and I did a really good job but it didn’t work out my way. All credit to Chawrasia because he is such a great player.”

At the age of 37, Gangjee believes the new wave of young talents sweeping the golf scene has inspired many of the older golfers to push past their limits.

“The older guys like myself still have chances to win because we have the experience. The youngsters are coming in and taking the cake more than we are and the challenge is getting tighter. If you look at the Asian Development Tour (ADT) event last week, Chikka S (eventual winner) and Shubhankar Sharma, who were in the play-off are aged 22 and 19!

“It is absolutely changing now because you see younger players winning and that’s because more corporate companies are sponsoring golf tournaments and that appeals to the younger generation. We are not complaining but the older guys would love to win too!” Gangjee laughed.

He will be joined by a talented cast this week who include multiple Asian Tour winners Gaganjeet Bhullar, Rashid Khan, Jyoti Randhawa and Marcus Both of Australia. Mithun Perera of Sri Lanka, who also lost in the play-off last year, will also feature in the Asian Tour event.

Perera, who is the son to Nandasena, a famous name on the old Asian circuit during the 1980s and 1990s, has made 10 straight cuts which include two top-five results. The Sri Lankan lost five kilograms earlier this year but his decision to lose weight backfired as he struggled with his swing.

“I exercised a lot during the summer months but after I lost weight, I felt uncomfortable with my swing! I’ve been eating a lot of McDonald’s to put on weight again. I’ve gained one kilogram and now I feel more comfortable with my swing,” he said.

Despite losing in the play-off last year, Perera still believes he will land his first Asian Tour title at the Delhi Golf Club as the tree-lined course suits his sharp-shooting game.

“I need a bit more luck because I’ve played well in some Asian Tour events this year. I think if every part of my game comes together then the tsunami of victories will come,” said Perera.

Chiragh Kumar, who was part of the Indian team which won the silver medal in the 2006 Doha Asian Games, enjoyed a second place result at the Delhi course in his National Open in 2011 but struggled with an ankle injury in the following year.

He returned to his best form after contending for the Venetian Macao Open title three weeks ago against inaugural Panasonic Open India winner Anirban Lahiri and eventual Macao Open champion Scott Hend of Australia.

“Having a good result gives you a lot of confidence but what’s more important is that I contended against Scott and Anirban! I was able to keep up with them and that gives me a lot of confidence and makes me believe that I can be out there and play against them.

“I know this course well and if I can stick to my routine and process then I should be okay. I won’t complain about Macao. I played well enough but Scott played better and he deserved to win. To be honest, I won’t complain if I had a week like that every week!” said Kumar.

Martina, Sania win WTA Finals

SINGAPORE, Nov 1: Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza won the WTA Finals trophy here on Sunday and Sania bag the title of the best doubles player in the world. Last year when Mirza and Zimbabwe’s Cara Black qualified for the $7million year-ender, it was their maiden run. Not only did she become the first Indian to clinch the title but on Sunday when she retained it, albeit with a different partner, it was the perfect way to end the season.

With Black, Mirza achieved glory but when the Indian combined forces with Swiss miss Martina Hingis in March, a run which only can be described as magical, began. The 35-year-old compliments her game and that booming forehand which opponents have still failed to break down. Hingis is almost as agile as she was 15 years ago as she races down the court or at the net to finish off points. They have become friends which is much-needed in such partnerships and have even started calling themselves ‘SanTina’.

When they came together, just a couple of days shy of the Indian Wells tournament, Mirza and Hingis were hoping the new combination would work. They won without dropping a set. Nine titles later, which include two women’s Grand Slams, the Indo-Swiss duo ended the season as the best. Spaniards Garbine Muguruza and Carla Suarez Navarro literally had no answer to those booming forehands which Mirza kept hitting on Sunday. In 66 minutes, it was all over. The scoreline read 6-0, 6-3 in favour of the world No 1 pair. They had ended their season just as they had begun, winning without dropping a set.

In fact, since March, they’ve only lost nine sets. For the statistically minded, the final win was their 22nd on the trot, having last lost a match in August in Cincinnati. It was particularly memorable for Hingis as she completed 50 WTA doubles wins, a milestone only 15 before her have reached.”It’s about choosing the right partner,” smiles Hingis.

When Mirza decided to focus on doubles, the aim was to become the best. She finished 2013 breaking into the top 10 and after that it was just a matter of time as she inched closer to the summit. In April this year, she clinched the elusive No 1 spot and has refused to part with it since.

With such a dominant partnership whereby they’ve lost just one final in Rome, it’s the belief and confidence which have played a huge role. “We do feel very confident every time we step on the court... We do feel, believe we’re the best team out there... I think half the battle is won there,” explained Mirza after the win. “On court, off court, we have a lot of fun and it’s the perfect way to end the year for us.”

With such chemistry, a dream of a Calendar Grand Slam is not farfetched and that’s already next year’s target for SanTina.

Asian Tour Heavyweights set to Light Up Panasonic Open India

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI, Nov 1: A strong cast of Indian and international stars are poised to light up the US$400,000 Panasonic Open India at the venerable Delhi Golf Club this week. Two-time Asian Tour number one Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand will headline the elite field alongside former Order of Merit champion Jyoti Randhawa of India, Marcus Both of Australia and Thailand’s Prom Meesawat.

Indian stalwarts Gaganjeet Bhullar, a five-time Asian Tour winner, Rashid Khan, Chiragh Kumar, who finished tied second at the recent Venetian Macao Open, and Rahil Gangjee, who finished tied second here last year, will also feature in the popular Asian Tour event.

Gangjee and Mithun Perera of Sri Lanka were heart broken when they lost in a play-off to S.S.P. Chawrasia of India last year but are determined to bounce back at the Panasonic Open India, which will celebrate its fifth edition.

The straight-shooting Perera has enjoyed a stellar season on the Asian Tour so far highlighted by a tied third result at the Hero Indian Open which was also played at the Delhi course earlier this season.

Perera, the son to Nandasena, a famous name on the old Asian circuit during the 1980s and 1990s, currently sits in 17th position on the Order of Merit and hopes to win a first Asian Tour title at the Panasonic Open India.

“I haven’t won anything on the Asian Tour yet but I strongly believe that my first win will come at the Delhi Golf Club. I need some luck to win. I always stay out of trouble on the course so I just need some putts to go my way and I’ll taste that first victory,” said Perera.

“I lost in a play-off last year but I always have good memories at the Panasonic Open India. It is like my home course because I always play well there. Accuracy is my strongest part of my game so that’s why I’ve always played well there,” he explained.

After struggling with his driving accuracy this year, Gangjee is excited to return to the tree-lined Delhi Golf Club where most players avoid using the big stick due to the narrow fairways.

“I’m playing on one of my favourite courses and I can’t wait to play in the event. I like golf courses where you have to work the ball and where you don’t just blast it. At Delhi, the long hitters don’t have an advantage and that’s good because I’m a medium range hitter,” said Gangjee.

He hopes to put on a good showing at the Panasonic Open India after going through an uncharacteristic run of poor form.

“I had eight missed cuts so overall I don’t think I’m playing well. Last year was my best year but this year has been pretty bad even though I feel like I’ve been playing okay. It is always nice to play at home with your family around. Familiar surrounding is always good,” he said.