National Tennis Championships 2019: Sowjanya Bavesetti fulfills 14-year dream with idol Sania Mirza presenting trophy

The dream has been 14 years in the making. It began when a young Hyderabadi girl picked up the racket at 12-years-old. A year later, she came to know of the biggest tournament in the country. And the ambition and dream was set - the national title. On Saturday, Sowjanya Bavesetti lifted her arms in the air when Prerna Bhambri, a four-time champion, found the net. A comfortable 6-4, 6-2 win for Sowjanya.

The trophy celebration had to wait for the men’s singles final. But when it began, it didn’t appear to end. Not that Sowjanya seemed to be in any mood to let the coveted trophy get away from her grasp. She was happy to hold it, happy to pose with it, happy to oblige one and sundry for a photo with the champion.

“I cannot describe this feeling. The tagline ’national champion’ is something really, really special,” she said in a sit down with Firstpost.com. She did become the national champion a day prior in the women’s doubles department but the singles is a separate business altogether.

“Since 2005, it’s been my dream to win singles nationals and I’ve never even reached a finals till now. So I wasn’t looking at this match as just a match. It meant everything to me and I gave all in. And it’s so special to be a national champion,” she added.

Rolling back the years to 2005 and one wonders what was the allure of the national title for a young Sowjanya. “I’ve seen a player hold the trophy and kind of has a vibe. And I just wanted it,” she stated with a smile. To make it an even special occasion for her, she received the trophy from Sania Mirza - a player she idolises and trained at her academy in the past.

“My younger sister started playing and I just was just watching her play one day and I just picked up the racket. And because I’m a lefty, the coach was really impressed. He said even on the first day, I had very good hand-eye coordination. So it just started that way and never stopped,” she said on where her journey began.

That journey has taken her places. Having begun nationally, she has moved to the international level in the recent years and won titles. She holds three singles and eight doubles titles. Sowjanya won the Sharm El Sheikh title in Egypt in 2013, in Aurangabad in 2014 and in Pune in 2016.

She’s met more success on the doubles front winning eight tiles in 2013, 2015 and 2018. In 2014, she achieved her career best ranking of 571 in the singles department and 402 in doubles. This year, though, hasn’t seen the same level of success. Her best showing in singles has been the quarters of Hua Hin, Thailand in July and a runner-up finish at Tabarka in Tunisia in the doubles department. This has seen her rankings slide from 879 on the WTA Tour at the start of the year to 893 at the moment.

Daughter of a Railway employee, Sowjanya credits her family for all the success. “My parents, my family has been extremely supportive. My sisters have sacrificed so much. Because my mom had to travel with me all the time. And my dad’s always working extra jobs to support us financially. And my mom, I don’t know how she did it to leave her two younger daughters home and just travel with me. And just make it look so easy. The whole thing just goes to my family,” she beamed.

“You know for every kid - I was 12 or 13 years old - it’s just a dream. You think of something, you see something and then you just feel like ‘Oh wow! That would be nice!’ And that’s how it started. I never really took it seriously until I moved into the women’s section. Unfortunately, I couldn’t play a lot of nationals. It’s always been first priority to play the nationals. And then comes international. I’ve won three international tournament titles but there’s always this (feeling), you know, you’re not a national champion yet. Now I have that! Fulfilled. I’m going for the big one now,” she half lifted her trophy in success.

What’s next? “I want to be competing in the Grand Slams. So my focus is to improve my rankings and get there,” said Sowjanya who looks up to Mirza, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and has been told her game mirrors that of Petra Kvitova. She half agrees but believes her defence is getting better, like Angelique Kerber, but there’s more to go.

“I really look up to Sania Mirza. I mean she got married, became World No. 1, has a kid and now she’s coming back. She’s really the role model. For any women’s tennis player, she is the role model. I’m a huge fan of Novak Djokovic and I really like how Serena Williams kills it on court,” she said on her role models.

Sowjanya trains at the academy run by her husband Suresh Krishna in Secunderabad and has Harsha Midathala for fitness trainer. She gets support from her father and husband to manage the finances of an expensive sport but hopes to get added aid from the state association and All India Tennis Association (AITA). “I don’t have anything yet (as sponsors). But I’m hoping to get some support from my state association or AITA, or both. I have to approach them and let them know that I’m the new national champion!” she said with a smile before being interrupted for another request for a photo.

The day had started early for Sowjanya and it won’t end without a well-earned celebration.