Maharashtra Open, Day 1 highlights: Nagal, Ramkumar bow out in first round
Follow updates from day 01 of the Maharashtra Open in Pune as they happened. Sumit Nagal and Ramkumar Ramanathan are in the fray in live action today
Published : Feb 03, 2020 17:21 IST
Hello and welcome to the live report of day 01 of the Maharashtra Open in Pune. Follow all the updates and results from the tournament as they happened with me, Lavanya .
| Match 04: Salvatore Caruso beat Ramkumar Ramanathan 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 |
And we come to an end of a disappointing day for the Indian prospects in this tour with Ramkumar also losing his tie. Caruso took the game 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. In the decider set, Ramkumar and Caruso seem to be neck to neck, with Carusa savouring the advantage of a 4-3 lead so far. Caruso takes the second set 6-4. Ramkumar has taken the first set vs Caruso 6-3. Caruso leads the second set 5-3.
Ramkumar Ramanathan is out now, facing Salvatore Caruso in the final game of the day. Can he do what his compatriot failed to?
| Match 03: Viktor Triocki beats Sumit Nagal 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 |
The third set is too easy for Triocki as he claims a dominant 6-1 win to send Nagal packing in the first round. The Serbian takes the match 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1
Anjana reports: Brilliant second set here in Pune. Nagal cut down on his errors and is doing the hard work. Three long games and then three short games with Nagal holding his serve at love. Oh, but I've jinxed it! Troicki holds to love. (A few minutes later) I literally had nothing to write about from that first set but look at this. Brilliant tennis. Nagal takes the set. What a comeback here from Sumit Nagal. He has clinched a closely fought second set 7-6 (7-4) Nagal has lost the first set against Troicki 2-6 , but it's an even fight in the second as the Indian levels the set 2-2. Can he take this one to cancel out Troicki's lead? Our correspondent, N Sudharshan caught up with Viktor Troicki yesterday, to get his reaction to Djokovic's eighth Australian Open win. Here's what the Serbian had to say . India's Sumit Nagal takes on Novak Djokovic's doubles partner, Viktor Troicki Anjana's verdict: Sugita was 4-0 up in the first game before Fabbiano showed some resistance. But the Italian completely gcame apart to give Sugita an easy win here in Pune.| Match 02: Fifth seeded Yuichi Sugita beat Thomas Fabbiano 6-3, 6-0 in the second encounter of Singles main draw. Easy win! |
| Match 01: 2019 finalist Ivo Karlovic bows out of the Tata Open Maharashtra after losing to Cedrik-Marcel Stebe in straight sets. 3-6, 4-6 |
Our correspondent, Anjana Senthil, is in Pune bringing us updates from the tournament as it happens. If you spot here, give her a shout!
FIXTURES FOR THE DAY: C. Stebe beat I Karlovic 6-3, 6-4 Y Sugita beat T Fabbiano 6-3, 6-0 S Nagal lost to V Troicki 2-6, 7-6(7-4), 1-6 S Caruso vs R Ramanathan LIVE |
PREVIEW: It should have been a special year. It should have been the celebration of the best in tennis. The 2020 Tata Open Maharashtra, after all, marks the 25th year of the ATP tour event happening in India. The 25 glorious years have seen the likes of Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka, Marin Cilic and Carlos Moya making India as the pit-stop for their Australian Open preparations. Conducive weather and conditions, perfect timing, the tournament had the zing.
For 25 years, it was the preferred stop. For some, it was even lucky to begin the season here.
But the launch of ATP Cup has changed all that this year. Slotted in the week after the Australian Open, it has become doubly hard for the organisers to draw the big names.
To compensate for the lack of star power - there is only one player from the top 50 (Benoit Paire), the singles event will see five Indians in the main draw: two direct entries and three wild cards in the main draw — giving the players the best opportunity to earn some crucial ATP points in the Olympic year.
Also, by offering Leander Paes the doubles wild card, it has added the charm of playing host to Leander’s last ATP tournament on Indian soil, in all likeliness