Paes-Dlouhy duo hope to replicate success
air had memorable year advancing to semis or beyond in five of 15 tourneys played and winning two Grand Slams
London : The Indo-Czech duo of Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy are hoping for a focused start to the new season in an attempt to replicate this year's doubles success on the ATP World Tour.
"We've planned to play our first quarter completely. The schedule is not that much different from this year. There are a few weeks that have been juggled around, but pretty much the same," Paes told Gulf News.
The Indo-Czech pair did not exactly have a memorable year-ending tournament here after losing all three matches in Group B.
Possibly the strain in their play showed after taking a long break following their win at the US Open earlier this year. "I got better with my injury, but basically the break was not so good for my tennis. So I will definitely play a few more tournaments next year," Paes promised.
However, it has been a memorable year for the pair.
In 15 tournaments together, they advanced to semifinals or better five times, highlighted by Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and at the US Open.
Fantastic season
"I think we've had a fantastic season behind us. We are the only team to have won two Grand Slams, so obviously we are playing well at the big events. So having two Grand Slams is a real feather in our cap. It's something we've worked hard for," said the 36 year old from Kolkata.
Having decided to stick around for yet another season on the gruelling tour, Paes admitted that they now need to pay attention to the finer details of their game. "Basically, we need to work hard and be more consistent away from the Grand Slams also. It would be nice to be sitting here next year with two Grand Slams under our belt, but also be more consistent in the other tournaments we play," Paes hoped.
Learning process
The Indo-Czech pairing has already narrowed down on 11 tournaments in the first quarter itself starting with the hard courts in Asutralia in January. "The first four weeks are pretty obvious, but I can't really say which will be the other ones to follow," Paes admitted.
Despite such a successful year, and after being among the most experienced doubles pairing on the circuit, the Indian star hoped they can continue with their learning process. "There is a lot for us to learn. Our strengths are when we play really well and it's tough to beat us. But we need to learn on how to play the percentage and make the other teams fight even when we're not playing great tennis," Paes said.
