"Difficult playing Bublik because he is very unpredictable, Shevchenko is very consistent" - Yuki Bhambri on first-round Wimbledon clash
India's second-ranked doubles player Yuki Bhambri is feeling confident ahead of his first-round match in the 2024 Wimbledon men's doubles event. His partner is Albano Olivetti of France, and they have been playing together on the ATP Tour since April.
Bhambri and Olivetti will clash against Kazakh duo Alexander Bublik and Alexander Shevchenko, ranked 131st and 878th in the world doubles rankings, respectively.
"I think it's a tricky matchup against Bublik and Shevchenko. Bublik obviously has a lot of tricks up his sleeve so it's always difficult playing someone like him because he is very unpredictable. Shevchenko is very consistent player as well. So it's going to be tough but that's what one expects at the Grand Slams. There are no easy matches. So we just have to take care of our side of things, prepare well and try to execute," Bhambri told Sportskeeda from London.
Bhambri comes into Wimbledon with a 7-4 win-loss record on grass over the last four weeks, highlighted by a semi-final finish at the Surbiton Trophy. The Indian, ranked No. 55 in the latest ATP world rankings, is feeling confident about his team's chances at Wimbledon, where he is hoping to go deep in the draw.
Yuki Bhambri said:
"The preparation for Wimbledon has been good. I maximized the grass court events; started with the Surbiton Challenger right after the French Open (with Llooyd Glasspool) and then the two ATP events in Germany and the one in Mallorca (with Olivetti)."
"Definitely got a lot of matches in on grass which is obviously the most important thing when you want to come into Wimbledon. Me and Albano have been playing well and are very confident. We would definitely like to make some inroads at Wimbledon this year," he added.
"I guess if one has to relate, it must be similar to playing Test cricket at Lord's" - Yuki Bhambri on the uniqueness of Wimbledon
The oldest and most prestigious of the four Grand Slams on the tennis calendar, Wimbledon is often described as the 'Mecca of Tennis.' Yuki Bhambri shared his thoughts on what makes the grasscourt Major so special.
"I think Wimbledon is special, not only for Indian players, but for the whole tennis fraternity as well, just for the fact that we don't get to play on grass for very long anymore. It's a unique surface where it's just one month of tennis on grass. Also, its one of the first Slams that started so the whole tradition of playing tennis at Wimbledon and the history behind it is what makes it special," the 31-year-old said.
"I guess if one has to relate, it must be similar to playing Test cricket at Lord's. It's just a special place to be in and a special place to play at and with the whole tradition and history, that's why it is considered the Mecca of tennis," he added.