Harpal Singh Bedi
Pune, 2 February :Title contender duo of Rohan Bopanna-Ramkumar Ramanathan and make shift pair of Saketh Myneni-Sasikumar Mukund commenced their campaign with contrasting victories in their respective doubles opening round matches of the Tata Open Maharashtra at the Balewadi Stadium here on Wednesday night.
Second-seed duo of Bopanna and Ramkumar battled it out for 6-3, 3-6, (10-7) win against Jammie Cerretani and Nicholas Monroe, teaming up for the first time, Myneni and Sasikumar chalked out a facile 6-3, 6-4 win over compatriots Divij Sharan and Yuki Bhambri.
Bopanna and Ramkumar, who started the year with a title in Adelaide in January, made a strong start, taking 1-0 lead but failed to sustain the moment as their Americans seized the opportunity to equal the score.
Bopanna and Ramkumar came back well into the tie-breaker to tilt the result in their favour.
Myneni and Sasikumar were awarded a main draw entry as an alternative pair after the pair of Denis Novak and Joao Sousa pulled out with the former suffering a thigh injury..
The pair looked in great touch as they clinched the first set comfortably. However, Divij and Bhambri, who had registered a semi-final finish during their maiden appearance at the tournament in 2018, regrouped quickly in the second set to take the early lead, but Myneni and Sasikumar did not let the momentum slip by securing successive points which put them 5-4 ahead in the second set and went on to bag the match comfortably in straight sets.
Earlier Jiri Vesely and Alexander Erler defeated French duo of Hugo Grenier and Quentin Halys 7-6 (12-10), 6-4.
Meanwhile, in the singles second-round match, Portuguese star Sousa pulled off an upset when he came from one-set down to record a stunning win against third-seed Gianluca Mager 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6-4) to enter the quarter-finals at India’s one of the oldest sporting events.
Former World No. 28 Sousa looked solid as he recomposed himself, winning the second set comfortably and then knocking out the World No. 67 Italian in the final set tie-breaker.
World No. 140 Aleksandar Vukic also made the higher ranked Italian rising star Lorenzo Musetti work hard for the victory, taking the contest into the third set before the World No. 66 Musetti took charge of the game to complete a 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-3 victory.
On Thursday, Bhambri will look to secure a berth in the singles quarter-finals as he is set to take on eight-seed Stefano Travaglia in the second-round match.
The star Indian player, Bhambri had a sensational start to his campaign as he defeated Josef Kovalik in an impressive come-from-behind win in the opening round on Monday.
World No. 15 Russian tennis star Aslan Karatsev and defending champion Jiri Vesely, who received byes in the opening round, will also begin their challenge.
Today’s results:
Singles (RD-16): Joao Sousa bt (3) Gianluca Mager 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6-4); (5) Daniel Altmaier bt Radu Albot 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; Kamil Majchrzak bt Quentin Halys 6-3, 7-6 (9-7); (2) Lorenzo Musetti bt Aleksandar Vukic 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-3.
Doubles (Rd-16): Alexander Erler/Jiri Vesely bt Hugo Grenier/Quentin Halys 7-6 (12-10), 6-4; Saketh Myneni/Mukund Sasikumar bt Yuki Bhambri/Divij Sharan 6-3, 6-4; Rohan Bopanna/Ramkumar Ramanathan bt Jammie Cerretani and Nicholas Monroe 6-3, 3-6 (10-7)