Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) Yuki Bhambri shrugged off a slow start against Briton Tim Bradshaw and won his first round match in the $10,000 International Tennis Federation (ITF), 7-5, 6-4, at the DLTA complex here Tuesday.
Yuki, who returned home last week after bowing out of a Challenger qualifiers in Uzbekistan, looked rusty and uncharacteristically committed unforced errors. The 17-year-old junior Australian champion gained an early break in the first set but squandered the advantage in the seventh game when the Bradshaw hit a powerful forehand crosscourt. Yuki then frittered away three break points in the next game.

The Delhi boy, however, soon regained his touch to break Bradshaw in the eighth game, when the latter hit a forehand long, before serving out the set.

Yuki carried the momentum into the second set, breaking Bradshaw early before closing the set and the match. He next plays American Shane La Porte.

In a rain delayed start, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan put up a spirited display before collapsing on the court with cramps and retiring at 6-0, 6-7 (5), 6-6 against compatriot Rupesh Roy. This is the second time in two weeks that Nedunchezhiyan had to retire mid-way a match.

Nedunchezhiyan breezed through the first set and was leading 3-1 in the second when Roy broke back to force a tie-break and clinch it.

Nedunchezhiyan, who trained at the Krishnan Tennis Centre in Chennai, raced to a 4-0 lead in the decider before cramping. Though in pain, Nedunchezhiyan decided to carry on, allowing Roy to take the set to the tie-breaker. He, however, could not carry on for long as he went down clutching his leg and had to be carried off the court.

Roy next plays last week’s winner and third seed Kim Young-jun who dispatched Briton Sean Thornley 6-1, 6-3.

In the other singles matches, Vivek Shokeen pulled off an upset, beating fourth– seeded Kento Takeuchi 6-3, 6-4. Shokeen next plays Australian of Indian origin K. Balakrishnan who advanced as Hsien-yin Peng of Chinese Taipei retired trailing 6-2, 2-0.

Top seed Vishnu Vardhan overcame wildcard N. Prashanth 7-5, 6-3 in a keenly contested match. Vardhan next plays Vijayant Malik, who dispatched Yannick Nelord 6-3, 6-3.