Tata Open Maharashtra 2020: 'Champ' Leander Paes feeling natural with new partner on Indian swansong

The 18-time Grand Slam Champion in Doubles and Mixed Doubles events, Leander Paes has struck the first note of his swansong perfectly. Playing in his final tournament in India at the ongoing Tata Open Maharashtra 2020, with the promise of bellowing out with 'One last roar', Paes and his new Australian partner, Matthew Ebden began their campaign successfully as they took down one half of the defending champion pair of Divij Sharan and Artem Sitak, in a fluent matter of straight sets.

The amply experienced 46-year-old tennis pro who decided that 2020 is going to act as his farewell year to tennis, is looking to make the most of the Maharashtra Open, where he was given a wild card entry with his Australian partner. Clashing against the second-seeded Indo-New Zealand duo of Divij Sharan and Artem Sitak, there was no stopping the relentless Paes-Ebden pair as they comfortably won, 6-2, 7(7)-6(5).

In the post-match conference, Paes was all smiles and revealed what gave his side the better push in the match. Paes mentioned what really turned the match to their favour, "Right from the first game itself, Matty (Matthew Ebden) and I went out last night and did a little practice on our service and our returns and that kinda helped us in good stead," the Grand Slam Champion uttered confidently.

There were a few tense spots in the match but Paes and Ebden ably guided their way through it. Paes added, "I thought, we served really well today, from the first game where we were under pressure, under break point, we managed to win that one," he analysed. Soon after, in the second game when they were forced to a deuce point and they won it, it gave their confidence a boost and turned the momentum in their favour.

Paes has been extremely emotional before the beginning of the Tata Open Maharashtra 2020 where he was given a wild card entry. Bringing a career spanning over three decades to a close is never easy as is playing the final tournament in his home country. Paes gushed after the match, "What's amazing is how natural it feels. This is our first match that we played and with Matty (Matthew Ebden) it feels so special. Under pressure, you do the right things," mentioned Paes.

For his Australian partner, it was a similar feeling of happiness and joy as he took down the Indo-New Zealand combination of Sharan and Sitak. In a lighter mood during the post-match conference, Ebden spoke highly of Paes, "I have confidence in the Champ. I'm gonna keep calling him the Champ," the Australian said. The real turning point of the match came when Sharan and Sitak attacked their games, "I think, under pressure, we understand how to remain calm and play our best tennis then...I think, that's how you become a Champ...we are gonna keep trying to do that, as long as we can and have a lot of fun playing," Ebden confided after making it to the Last 8 of the tournament with Leander Paes, for one final time in India.