Article IBNlive 05-01-07
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Spain brings a unique tennis culture
Roma Khanna
CNN-IBN
Posted Friday , January 05, 2007 at 20:24 Email Print
NO GENERATION GAP HERE: Spain's Rafael Nadal, Bartolome Salva Vidal and Carlos Moya at a training session in Chennai.
Chennai: The Chennai Open this year in many ways has been the story of two Spaniards, former world number one Carlos Moya and the current world number two Rafael Nadal.
The Moya-Nadal connection is a reflection of a unique tennis culture, where acting mentor to the younger crop comes naturally.
It isn't often you see the best players on tour relaxing together, finding ways to improve each other's games, a rare sight at this year's Chennai Open.
Carlos Moya got a young Nadal to Chennai in 2004. Moya won the singles title and Nadal went on to win the doubles, and it's a friendship that has grown over the years with Nadal now the success story that King Carlos once was.
"We know each other for a long time and this time, the way I helped him, he helped me. Because he's been an inspiration for me and he forces you to improve day after day. I want to keep on playing with him," Moya, the world No 43 says.
And Nadal now has taken over the role of a mentor for young Bartolome Salva Vidal. Nadal played a crucial hand in Vidal getting a wild card and is even playing doubles with his young friend.
"We have played together a lot of times. We won the juniors, the world cup together two times. So, we feel very good together on court and outside of it too. This is the first time that we are playing the ATP Tour doubles, and I would love it is we could play together (ahead)," Nadal says.
One of the main reasons why Spanish tennis is blooming is this unselfish interest in developing the younger crop. And as Moya puts it, if you have a friend from home then you are not really alone, in some ways its home away from home.
Spaniards Carlos Moya and Rafael Nadal share the same jokes, they practise together and are there for each other in times of crisis. And in a sport where you are on your own, all of a sudden, life is not so lonely.
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