Tokyo, Aug 3 (IANS): Physiotherapist-cum-coach Sanjay Singh -- the man who has kept Leander Paes injury-free for over three decades and helped him to a whopping 18 Grand Slam titles and a bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games -- added another feather to his cap when he guided Brazil's Luisa Stefani to the women's doubles bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
The Brazilian pair of Luisa and Laura Pigossi defeated the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) duo of Elena Vesnina and Veronika Kudermetova 4-6, 6-4, 11-9 to clinch bronze in Tokyo.
It was Brazil's maiden tennis medal at the Olympics after the country came close in 1996 Atlanta when Fernando Meligeni lost to Paes in the bronze-medal match.
Speaking about the two achievements 25 years apart, Singh said, "In Leander's case, we knew that he would be getting in (competing in 1996 Atlanta), so everything was ready, but here, Luisa had no idea whether she was even going to Tokyo."
The Luisa-Laura pair was a last-minute entry at the Olympics like India's Sumit Nagal, who was included in the draw after several top players pulled out due to Covid-19 fears and injuries.
"From number seven on the (waiting) list, they got to second. That night, I said to her, 'I wish, in one hour somebody else also pulls out. If you get in, it would be magical'. She replied 'No, I have dropped that idea from my mind,'" Singh told Indian Express.
In 2019 too, Singh and Luisa had waited endlessly before Wimbledon and the US Open for someone to pull out, but they were unlucky on both occasions.
"In the morning, she woke up and went, 'Sanjay! I'm in!' We were on an island (in South Carolina), preparing for the singles in Charleston. We quickly moved to high-altitude training in Michigan. Everything was rushed. Getting everything organised. Visa, tickets. Checking and double checking. The day of departure, till 2 in the morning, she was waiting for the tickets from Brazil federation," said Singh.
Singh is now settled in the US and coaches Luisa and her regular partner American Hayley Carter in Florida.
The 23-year-old Luisa is currently ranked 23rd in doubles and has made it to the Australian Open and French Open third round and the US Open quarters.
"Before the bronze match (in Tokyo), I told her, 'attack Vesnina, she chokes at crucial points'. You could see she was paranoid by how Stefani moved at the net," said Singh.