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According to Sharma, the trials were only the starting point. “The performance at the trials was one of the criteria,” he said. But the selection committee looked well beyond results on the scoreboard. Sharma explained that players were also judged on their fitness levels and how they carried themselves on court. That included their behaviour towards referees, and just as importantly, how they treated fellow players, opponents and even their own partners during matches. He added that this was not limited to what happened on the court, saying the players’ conduct “off the court also” mattered to the committee.