The Open era

My tryst with the game of tennis began way back in the late eighties, when the solitary source of information and entertainment, the Doordarshan , telecast the two of the four Grand Slams, Wimbledon and the French . It was not feasible for the US and Australian open to be shown due to the daunting time difference, and it was a fascination to know that there were other games apart from cricket. Boris Becker had become an household name, what with his unbelievable dives and ripping tennis, that evoked those lovely oohs and aahs from the audience, leaving everyone speechless and spellbound. There was always a mini battle at home, with my mother siding up with Lendl and Edberg , while my dad let his loyalty rip towards Becker. They had their fair share of happiness, as Becker beat Edberg in the '89 Wimbledon finals, while Edberg gave it back in the subsequent year in an incredible five setter. Pic: Steffi Graf, with one of her numerous trophies It was a start of the open er...