Nostalgia — that was the overriding emotion at the Calcutta South Club on Saturday as icons of Indian tennis gathered to reminisce about their playing days and the fond memories they have of the club that was once hailed as the Mecca of Indian tennis. Sharp as a needle even at 82, Ramanathan talked about the three top coaches who had been instrumental behind making Calcutta South Club a veritable nursery of top tennis players of India. Granted he was a far cry from the man, who in 1974, along with Vijay and Anand Amritraj, defeated Australia in the Eastern Zone final at South Club. Was he thinking about that match, when he defeated Bob Giltinan in the first singles to give India the lead? Zeeshan spoke about how his father Akhtar motivated him into taking up tennis instead of his chosen sport of cricket.

Source: The Telegraph February 15, 2020 22:07 UTC