"There is one thing I've learnt, it is to never give up" - Pavan Srinivas interview

Pavan Srinivas, winner (singles) of Karnataka state-level tennis tournament. He has qualified to represent/lead the state team for the National’s in Hyderabad.

Winning a state level tournament in one sport is quite a commendable achievement for a 17-year-old, one would think. But Pavan Srinivas is different. Not only did the Bangalorean win the Karnataka state tennis championship to quality for the nationals, he is also part of his school basketball team that qualified for the same.

Pavan started playing basketball only two years ago as there were no tennis courts in school. He did, however, take to the racquet sport earlier.

“I started playing when I was around six, simply because my mother used to play tennis in her younger days – I could barely hold a racquet at the time.”

And it didn’t take long from him to win his first tournament either. When asked about his experience, Pavan said: “I was about twelve when I won my first tournament, an under-12 one. I beat the top seed – I was unseeded at the time – who was twice my size and I remember that it was really intimidating prospect.

“I was obviously nervous in the beginning and I told my parents not to come to venue as I was afraid I’d mess up with them looking. I don’t remember the final too well, but I do remember that it was a close game and that I won in a tie-break.”

“My first match ever, now that I remember very well – I got pummelled; I should have given up tennis then and there. But then again, that’s how I learnt. Failure is the stepping stone to success right?”

For a school going kid, Pavan shows great self-belief and has an extremely positive outlook. And he credits his father, Srinivas Garudachar, for his progress.

“I’ve always looked up to my dad, whatever it be – sports, school or life. He’s quite the role model.

“I’ve learnt a lot of things from him but if at all there is one thing I’ve learnt, it is to never give up. People say if you don’t try you can’t lose, but you can with either. And that is what he has taught me.”

Now managing school and not one but two sports when you’re in the 12th grade is no mean feat. And it is admirable that this kid has it all sorted out.

“My dad knows how to manage his time well, and I guess I’ve taken on from him, because I manage my time well. I think it is easier, for me at least, because I don’t go to a full-time academy (Pavan trains with Anirudh Tamanna at the High Performance Tennis Centre in the evenings).

“In tenth grade I got 96% in my boards but that came at the cost of tennis. I manage my time because I have a plan – set routine per se – of when to study and when to head out for practice. And it has been working for quite a few years, so why mess with it?”

Like any youngster, Pavan too looks up to professionals who grace his sport of choice.

“I admire (Roger) Federer because he shows so much control and his finesse; no two shots are at the same place and he is always making his opponent run. And what I admire about (Novak) Djokovic is that he is the fittest guy on the circuit.”

But there was a bit of surprise in store when he was asked who of the two he would like to emulate:

“And at one point of time, I hope to emulate a guy like Djokovic, because to come back from a 54-point rally and just hit another 22-point rally (in the US Open final), you need massive levels of endurance.

“But what I would like to take away from his game is not any of that but his mental ability. Djokovic made a lot of errors in the US Open final but not once did he abuse his racquet nor did he react angrily.”

And so when Pavan was asked about his biggest strengths and weaknesses, he chose the choicest of words:

“When I’m having a really good day, my forehand and serve are my biggest strengths. When I’m having a really bad day, they are also my biggest weaknesses.

“My backhand is extremely reliable because like I said, I could not hold the racquet when I was six, so it was the backhand which had the power because it was two-handed. So in truth, my biggest strength is my biggest weakness.”

From playing an individual sport to being part of team, Pavan said that representing his school’s basketball was not only a new experience but also a learning process.

“The difference between tennis and basketball is that one is an individual sport, so you get individual glory. Basketball being a team sport, it teaches you a lot about team spirit and that is something I didn’t have till last year.”

2013 has been an eventual year for Pavan but 2014 will play a crucial role in deciding the young man’s future.

“Honestly I will have to look at what happens after school and depending what the scenario is, my focus will either shift completely towards tennis or completely away. I hope it goes the way of me playing tennis but then again there is no harm done either way.”

For a teenager, Pavan carries himself with gritty assurance in his ability, and shows maturity well beyond his young years. And whichever way he chooses to go next year, it is sure to be only up.