Being in Europe is about being in competitive environment: Maaya

Pune: Having started training at Rafa Nadal Academy nearly a year and a half back, Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi says being based in Europe is more about getting exposed to a more "competitive environment" than having a fundamentally different coaching."After a certain level, it is more about how you compete, more about playing with more equal players. Almost competing every day, having more competition," the 16-year-old Maaya said."My old coach Manoj sir felt that I needed to move to Europe to get more competitive tennis. I am more in the competitive environment, something that I love about the academy."I am surrounded by a lot of professional athletes. I think that is the major difference I felt coming here," the Coimbatore native added during an online interaction.Talking of pros, the legend himself had suggested a few changes after watching her during practice last year. Polina Radeva, the Bulgarian coach who travels with Maaya for tournaments, said Nadal's insights were invaluable."He obviously likes her game. He gave us some tips on how to improve her forehand, and a bit on the movement," the 28-year-old Radeva said."These are specific tennis details. We implemented it right away into her game. I can't say we have perfected them, but we continue to work on them. The eye he has for details is incredible."Maaya won a J300 juniors title on clay in France in April, adding the J200 success she tasted on the red dirt in Germany last year.She said her growing prowess on the slow surface was a natural consequence of her getting to practice more on it."When the physical part develops you will like to play on clay a lot. So the more I train on a certain surface, the more I belong on that surface. The more matches I get to play, the more comfortable I will feel," said Maaya, who has been part of the Target Asian Games Group and has received more than Rs. 55 lakh in funding so far.The Indian sensation, who will turn 17 in June, has largely played in the juniors circuit so far. Radeva said the aim was to get her "big game" developed before she transitioned to the women's pro tour."The idea behind that is that if she gets a good ranking (in world juniors) at the end of the year, the following year she would get a head start in the pro circuit, get direct entries into pro events," the former Bulgarian player said."As we all know, she has a very big game. Our idea is for her to be confident and comfortable with her game, to develop a solid base, to set up points with a more solid game, because when she steps inside the court she can really dominate."Also have very good quality in the beginning of the point, with the serve, with the return, to build a quality foundation so that she can step in and play her big game."