An unprecedented players' revolt shook Indian tennis in a controversy-marred beginning of the year but when the dust settled and the 2013 season progressed, Sania Mirza, Somdev Devvarman and Leander Paes brought cheers to the fans by their on-court successes.
In a dramatic move, 11 top players presented a united front against the All India Tennis Association (AITA) to bring about changes in the way the game is being governed and forced the national tennis body agree to some of their demands.
Getting the Davis Cup support staff changed was a big victory for the players but the most surprising part was that the revolt was led by Somdev, who was known just for his dogged persistence on the tennis courts. The affable player showed that his fighting skills were not restricted to just the courts and if needed, he can extend his fighting arena.
The revolt did not stop even after improvement in the Davis Cup playing conditions for the players but culminated in the formation of a players' association, Indian Tennis Players Association (ITPA). The factions within the AITA too helped the players as its vice-president Karti P Chidambaram supported their cause.
Somdev's on-court performance just added to his reputation as he worked his way to top-100 after beginning the year below 600. Having overcome his shoulder injury, Somdev was at his usual fighting best as he recorded impressive wins over several top-100 and top-50 players on the ATP circuit.
His win over world number 23 Alexandr Dolgopolov at the ATP 500 Washington event and over world number 39 Benoit Paire in France stood out.
Reaching second rounds at US Open and Roland Garros from the qualifiers helped him climb up the ranking ladder. It is at this level, Somdev needs to do better in 2014 season. He is a hard working and thinking tennis player but needs to be more consistent. It is easier said than done as the professional tennis world is becoming more and more physically and mentally demanding.
