Second seed Somdev brushed aside the challenge of wild card compatriot Karunuday Singh 6-2 7-5 in one hour and 28 minutes while Yuki squandered a match point against Frenchman Lucas Pouille to be knocked out with a 6-2 5-7 5-7 scoreline in two hours and 20 minutes at R K Khanna Tennis stadium.
Karunuday, playing only his second main draw at a Challenger event, began well by serving out the first game at love with an ace but keeping the points short was a big task against Somdev, who has amazing ability to retrieve the ball. The two players were happy playing from the baseline and it only helped Somdev, who sent many a balls short but Karunuday did not latch on to them. Rather he kept the ball in play and there it was difficult to outrally Somdev.
‘It was strange. The wind was coming from both the sides. It was not cleanest of the match I played. It was difficult situation out there. The intention was to put pressure on his serve and I did that. I kind of start slow,’ Somdev said after his win.
He also praised his opponent saying, ‘KU (Karunuday) is promising. He has a good team behind him. He’s on right track.’
Yuki said his serve also needs to be better and due to an abdomen strain, he could not serve his best today.
‘It has got better but it was only 60 percent pace today. It will take some time but it is getting there. Overall I am happy. I am feeling confident. I have changed quite a bit,’ he said.
Later in the evening, wild card Ramkumar Ramanathan bowed out with a 2-6 7-6 (5) 4-6 defeat to Serbia’s 204th-ranked Ilija Bozoljac.
Meanwhile, in the men’s doubles the top seeded pair of Divij Sharan and Purav Raja suffered an upset first round defeat.
Karunuday, playing only his second main draw at a Challenger event, began well by serving out the first game at love with an ace but keeping the points short was a big task against Somdev, who has amazing ability to retrieve the ball. The two players were happy playing from the baseline and it only helped Somdev, who sent many a balls short but Karunuday did not latch on to them. Rather he kept the ball in play and there it was difficult to outrally Somdev.
‘It was strange. The wind was coming from both the sides. It was not cleanest of the match I played. It was difficult situation out there. The intention was to put pressure on his serve and I did that. I kind of start slow,’ Somdev said after his win.
He also praised his opponent saying, ‘KU (Karunuday) is promising. He has a good team behind him. He’s on right track.’
Yuki said his serve also needs to be better and due to an abdomen strain, he could not serve his best today.
‘It has got better but it was only 60 percent pace today. It will take some time but it is getting there. Overall I am happy. I am feeling confident. I have changed quite a bit,’ he said.
Later in the evening, wild card Ramkumar Ramanathan bowed out with a 2-6 7-6 (5) 4-6 defeat to Serbia’s 204th-ranked Ilija Bozoljac.
Meanwhile, in the men’s doubles the top seeded pair of Divij Sharan and Purav Raja suffered an upset first round defeat.