Nagal in semifinals, Ramkumar bows out
Loses in three sets to South Korea’s Seongchan Hong in the quarterfinals after seemingly losing focus after runins with chair umpire
amkumar Ramanathan put up a spirited fight before losing 57, 75, 46 to South Korea’s Seongchan Hong in the singles quarterfinal of the dafaNews Bengaluru Open ATP Challenger at the KSLTA courts inside Cubbon Park here on Friday.
RCapricious for most part, the match saw some quality tennis, with both players attacking with aplomb. But it was also marked by Ramkumar’s repeated runins with the chair umpire in the third set, because of which he
Hong prevailed over Ramkumar in a match that witnessed quality tennis.
seemingly lost focus and withered away.
Hong broke Ramkumar’s serve in the first game of the contest, but the Indian
evened matters in the 10th. The crosscourt forehand winner Ramkumar hit on breakpoint with very little room to work with was indicative of his aggressive mood.
But he got a tad overambitious and that cost him as he lost serve to love in the 11th game and ceded the set soon after.
With his tail up, Hong made the play in the ninth game of the second stanza, but Ramkumar sliced and diced his way out of trouble and saved all four breakpoints.
But when Hong served at 56, Ramkumar converted the first break opportunity to level the tie.
However, at 30all in the first game of the third set, Ramkumar lost his cool over a line call that went against him.
On the subsequent breakpoint, he doublefaulted.
From then on, he remonstrated to no end and even when he earned a breakpoint in the sixth game, the match never seemed his.
Later in the evening, India No.1 Sumit Nagal brought back the cheer on the supporters' faces with a 75, 62 victory over Australia's Adam Walton to move into the last four.
Other results (Indians unless specified): Singles: Quarterfinals: Stefano Napolitano (Ita) bt Moez Echargui (Tun) 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4; Oriol Roca Batalla (Spa) bt Maks Kasnikowski (Pol) 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-5.
Doubles: Semifinals: Bittoun Kouzmine & Janvier (Fra) bt Matuszewski (Pol) & Romios (Aus) 6-3, 3-6, [10-6].