Once he was a big fish in a small pond. Kanak Jha (pictured) was a four-time US men's singles national champion before he turned 20. Needing some real competition, Jha moved to Germany to compete in the über-competitive German Bundesliga. Now age 21, Jha is ranked #30 in the world. Playing for TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen, last year Jha was the third option for Ochsenhausen after Brazil's Hugo Calderano (world #8) and Simon Gauzy of France (world #18). Young Polish benchwarmer Samuel Kulczycki (#361) proved a capable backup, often earning playing time when Jha was benched due to inconsistent play. This year, the batting order changed dramatically when Calderano took his talents to the Russian Champion's League. With Gauzy ascending to the captaincy, Jha assumed the second spot, the so-called "anchor" of the team. This vaunted position requires playing up to two singles matches in lieu of doubles duties. Kulczycki moved up to bat third. So far, the formula has been going gangbusters for Ochsenhausen. Entering this weekend, they were one of three 3-0 teams in the Bundesliga. They risked their perfect record yesterday against Werder Bremen, whose 1-2 record underlined the strength of the league as much as it obscured their own. Boasting world #9 Mattias Falck of Sweden, #46 Kirill Gerassimenko of Kazakhstan and #128 Hunor Szocs of Hungary, Bremen would be a tough out for any team. For an added layer of difficulty, Ochsenhausen would be without the services of Simon Gauzy. This moved Jha to the top spot and conscripted reserve Maciej Kubik of Poland (world #491) into action. Jha overcame Gerassimenko in the opening match to give Ochsenhausen the lead, one which Falck promptly erased in the second frame against Kubik. In the pivotal third match, Kulczycki trailed Szocs 0-2 before rallying to win in five, giving Ochsenhausen the 2-1 lead. The fourth match between Jha and Falck was a rematch of their recent tilt in the Olympic men's teams event. There, in Tokyo, Jha upset Falck to notch the only win for the US in the event. Although Jha led 2-1, a determined Falck fought back to win the match and necessitate another. In the deciding doubles tiebreaker, Jha could only watch and cheer as Kulczycki and Kubic took on Bremen's Gerassimenko and Marcelo Aguirre. In four hard-fought games, Ochsenhausen's Polish pair prevailed, preserving perfection. They now sit a close second behind perennial powerhouse Borussia Düsseldorf, the only remaining unbeaten teams in the Bundesliga. For Kanak Jha, it has been a swift ascent from playing a supporting role to occasionally leading his team. Now a medium-sized fish in a big pong, Jha is clearly poised for even bigger things.

More at Butterfly Online