One around, two days, 4 gamers, no wins. That’s the tale of India’s singles problem on the 2023 ATP Tata Open Maharashtra. And the total gloom round males’s singles tennis within the nation at this time does not display any signal of lifting quickly.
Ramkumar Ramanathan and Sasikumar Mukund on Tuesday joined Sumit Nagal and Manas Dhamne, dropping within the first around of India’s lone ATP 250 tournament in Pune. Among them, simplest Ramkumar got here via profitable two qualifiers whilst the others have been passed wildcards. None may just pounce at the alternative and make a bounce like wildcard Karman Kaur Thandi did ultimately 12 months’s WTA Chennai Open, beating a far higher-ranked participant within the first around for a substantial push in her score.
The 4 males, although, did have their moments at the Balewadi laborious courts. If Dhamne, 15, were given an early style of items to come back in his occupation, Mukund, India’s singles No 1 (ranked 340), used to be off the blocks in each units prior to being pulled again by means of 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 international No 62 Spaniard Pedro Martinez.
Those preventing losses must particularly pinch Ramkumar and Nagal slightly extra, each coming off a disappointing 2022 season in singles because of detached shape and damage that resulted of their ratings skydiving. A win right here would have equipped simply the type of impetus they search. As for Mukund, in simply his 2d ATP Tour primary draw look, the gulf between notching up effects at the ITF/Challenger and the ATP excursion used to be obvious.
“It’s simply loss of revel in at this degree for me. I imply, it isn’t an excuse, it is simply undeniable details. Those guys (Nagal and Ramkumar) know what that is about a lot more than me,” the 25-year-old Mukund mentioned.
It used to be obtrusive 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 probabilities to earn a a very powerful wreck within the 5th sport of the second one set however in failing to take action, allowed the 2022 ATP Santiago winner to level a comeback.
Mukund used to be additionally accountable of squandering the merit. In each units the Indian were given the early wreck prior to letting Cobolli, the 20-year-old former junior international No 8, proper again into it with error-filled play from the baseline to move with a couple of cracking winners. Like when he despatched again two high quality go back winners however an equivalent choice of deficient ones to assist the Italian get out of a hollow and hang serve from 0-40 past due within the first set.
In a doubles first-round fit, India’s international No 19 Rohan Bopanna and Dutch spouse Botic van de Zandschulp misplaced to Ramkumar and Mexican Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela 6-7(5), 7-6(4), September 11. Bopanna and Ramkumar had paired up in Pune final 12 months, going the entire technique to win the name.