One spherical, two days, 4 gamers, no wins. That’s the story of India’s singles problem on the 2023 ATP Tata Open Maharashtra. And the general gloom round males’s singles tennis within the nation at current doesn’t present any signal of lifting quickly.
Ramkumar Ramanathan and Sasikumar Mukund on Tuesday joined Sumit Nagal and Manas Dhamne, shedding within the first spherical of India’s lone ATP 250 occasion in Pune. Amongst them, solely Ramkumar got here via successful two qualifiers whereas the others had been handed wildcards. None might pounce on the chance and make a leap like wildcard Karman Kaur Thandi did eventually 12 months’s WTA Chennai Open, beating a a lot higher-ranked participant within the first spherical for a substantial push in her rating.
The 4 males, although, did have their moments on the Balewadi laborious courts. If Dhamne, 15, received an early style of issues to return in his profession, Mukund, India’s singles No 1 (ranked 340), was off the blocks in each units earlier than being pulled again by promising younger Italian Flavio Cobolli (171) 6-4, 7-5. If Nagal stretched 54th-ranked Filip Krajinovic in a three-setter, so did Ramkumar in his 6-3, 5-7, 3-6 defeat to world No 62 Spaniard Pedro Martinez.
These preventing losses ought to particularly pinch Ramkumar and Nagal a bit extra, each coming off a disappointing 2022 season in singles as a result of detached kind and harm that resulted of their rankings skydiving. A win right here would have supplied simply the type of impetus they search. As for Mukund, in simply his second ATP Tour foremost draw look, the gulf between notching up outcomes on the ITF/Challenger and the ATP tour was obvious.
“It’s simply lack of expertise at this degree for me. I imply, it’s not an excuse, it’s simply plain details. These guys (Nagal and Ramkumar) know what that is about rather more than me,” the 25-year-old Mukund mentioned.
It was evident with Ramkumar, his large first strike and the serve-and-volley sport making it tough for Martinez to crack within the opening set. The 435th-ranked Indian had possibilities to earn an important break within the fifth sport of the second set however in failing to take action, allowed the 2022 ATP Santiago winner to stage a comeback.
Mukund was additionally responsible of squandering the benefit. In each units the Indian received the early break earlier than letting Cobolli, the 20-year-old former junior world No 8, proper again in it with error-filled play from the baseline to go along with a number of cracking winners. Like when he despatched again two high quality return winners however an equal variety of poor ones to assist the Italian get out of a gap and maintain serve from 0-40 late within the first set.
In a doubles first-round match, India’s world No 19 Rohan Bopanna and Dutch companion Botic van de Zandschulp misplaced to Ramkumar and Mexican Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela 6-7(5), 7-6(4), Sep 11. Bopanna and Ramkumar had paired up in Pune final 12 months, going all the best way to win the title.