Davis Cupper Ramkumar Ramanathan asserted his fighting abilities by winning a thriller 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 7-6(5) against Lloyd Harris of South Africa in the pre-quarterfinals of the $150,000 Challenger tennis tournament in Taipei on Thursday.
In a battle that lasted two hours and 33 minutes, both the players broke the serve twice before settling the contest in three tie-breaks. Ramkumar had 15 aces to 12 by his opponent and won 121 points to 118 in the match. In the quarterfinals, sixth seed Ramkumar will challenge the third seed and former world No.29 Dudi Sela of Israel.
Fourth seed Yuki Bhambri also sailed into the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Matthias Bachinger of Germany, but Saketh Myneni bowed out to second seed Evgeny Donskoy of Russia. Saketh, however, made the doubles semifinals with Prajnesh Gunneswaran.
In the $100,000 Challenger in Mexico, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan, seeded second in partnership with Bradley Mousley of Australia, was beaten 13-11 in the super tie-break by alternates, Franco Agamenone of Argentina and Luis David Martinez of Venezuela.
In the $25,000 ITF women’s event in Osaka, Ankita Raina lost her way after a good start and was beaten in three sets by Na-Lae Han of Korea. Rutuja Bhosale progressed in Egypt, while Zeel Desai went down fighting in three sets to seventh seed Caroline Werner of Germany. Kyra Shroff and Pranjala Yadlapalli made the doubles final in Kazakhstan by knocking out the second seeds 11-9 in the super tie-break.
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The results:
$150,000 Challenger men, Chinese Taipei Singles (pre-quarterfinals): Yuki Bhambri bt Matthias Bachinger (Ger) 6-4, 6-4; Ramkumar Ramanathan bt Lloyd Harris (RSA) 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 7-6(5); Evgeny Donskoy (Rus) bt Saketh Myneni 6-2, 6-4.
Doubles (quarterfinals): Prajnesh Gunneswaran & Saketh Myneni bt Ruben Gonzales (Phi) & Christopher Rungkat (Ina) 7-5, 6-4.
$100,000 Challenger men, Mexico City, Mexico Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Franco Agamenone (Arg) & Luis David Martinez (Ven) bt Bradley Mousley (Aus) & Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan 2-6, 6-4, [13-11].
$25,000 ITF women, Osaka, Japan Singles (pre-quarterfinals): Na-Lae Han (Kor) bt Ankita Raina 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.
$15,000 ITF women, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt Singles (pre-quarterfinals): Rutuja Bhosale bt Yuliya Lysa (Ukr) 6-1, 7-6(4); Caroline Werner (Ger) bt Zeel Desai 6-4, 0-6, 6-3.
Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Eleni Kordolaimi (Gre) & Tara Moore (GBR) bt Britt Geukens (Bel) & Zeel Desai 6-2, 6-1.
$15,000 ITF women, Shymkent, Kazakhstan Doubles (semifinals): Kyra Shroff & Pranjala Yadlapalli bt Gozal Aintdinova (Kaz) & Albina Khabibulina (Uzb) 6-3, 5-7, [11-9].
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