The Times of India in Melbourne: Niki Poonacha is a late bloomer in tennis. Although he picked up a racket at the age of five, his exposure to tournament play came much later. He played his first ITF event at 17, and at 30, he is set to make his Grand Slam debut in the men’s doubles at the Australian Open, partnering Thailand’s Pruchya Isaro.Standing 6 ft 3’, Poonacha has spent much of the past couple of years grinding on the Challenger circuit, a world away in facilities and scale from a Grand Slam. Ranked No. 7 among Indians and 144 in the ATP doubles rankings, the 30-year-old appeared relaxed when nudged to recall his first impressions of Melbourne.
“What I’ve heard from players is that the Australian Open is the most player-friendly event, now I’ve got to experience that,” said Poonacha, who arrived in Melbourne over the weekend. “Right from the first welcome to the restaurants they have onsite that take care of your every dietary requirement, to the atmosphere on the grounds, there is nothing more I could ask for. This place has a different kind of energy.”Poonacha, who grew up in Neyveli, an industrial town in Tamil Nadu, has been to Australia once before, 10 years ago, when he played an ITF event in Mornington.Wildcard entrants, Poonacha and Isaro face a stiff challenge in the first round as they take on Spanish pair Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar on an outside court on Tuesday.“I feel good here, I’m feeling the ball good on my racket,” Poonacha said. “It’s a good thing that we’re playing with similar balls to the ones used in Chengdu (for the wildcard play-offs) in November. The courts are almost the same too.”The burly Indian, who has soaked in the experience, walking the grounds and preparing for his opening match, described the stage as motivating.“When I came here on the first day, I was a little overwhelmed by the people and everything around me, the hospitality they provide and the number of people coming to watch,” he said, pausing. “I was overwhelmed in a good way. It made me a little bit nervous at first, but now I’m like this is the reality, this is how it is.”Poonacha nods as he speaks, having arrived at a clear career resolution. “I want to try and come back here every year. I’m going to work as hard as possible towards making it happen. It would be amazing if I could play all the Grand Slams, play at that level regularly.”
