The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Ajay Ramaswami quells Brewer's challenge

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 23, 2004

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Sport - Tennis

Ajay Ramaswami quells Brewer's challenge

By Kamesh Srinivasan

NEW DELHI, JUNE 22. Ajay Ramaswami played hard from the backcourt, with all the enthusiasm he could muster, to beat the seventh-seeded David Brewer of Britain 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 6-2 in the first round of the ITF Satellite tennis circuit third leg at the DLTA Complex here on Tuesday.

With the pleasant atmosphere saving the players from the harsh sun, the 24-year-old Ajay, was able to put all his energy into his groundstrokes in a baseline battle to overcome the Briton.

More than anything else, Ajay played well when it mattered like in the tie-break of the first set and in the decider, when he bounced back strongly after losing the second set.

The big-serving Brewer fired 12 aces in all, including eight in the first set, but as the match reached the climax his aces decreased and the doublefaults troubled him.

Ajay will take on Syed Rahil who got past qualifier Rohan Gide in three sets. Having already assured himself of 12 circuit points, Ajay will be eyeing the big points thanks to a relatively easy draw.

The second-seeded Vishaal Uppal was in roaring form as he dismissed the challenge from Ross Hutchins of Britain with contempt. After 4-4 in the first set, Vishaal raced away with the next eight games, with his fluent serve and volley game, leaving the Briton, whose serve started misbehaving from the tenth game of the first set, gasping for breath. Vishaal will be challenged by Mat Lowe of Britain in the next round. The runner-up of the second week, Vinod Sridhar played an attacking game, even as Vijay Kannan tried to slow down the contest with his crafty game, in running away to a quick win. Vinod will meet Sunil Kumar, the highest ranked player in the draw, in the second round, in what could perhaps turn out to be the match of the week.

Local lad Shivang Mishra was close to gaining ATP points, but played below par in allowing himself to be beaten by Luke Campbell of Britain, a player whom he had defeated in straight sets in the qualifying event of the second week. Campbell served seven aces and 10 doublefaults, but when it was crunch situation, like in the seventh game of the third set when he led 4-2 with a break in the sixth, the Briton delivered the big serves to emerge a deserving winner.

Pathanjali Ravishankar earned a second-round with the top-seeded Joshua Goodall of Britain.There were four players, Rohan Gide, Gurmehar Singh, Yannick Nelord and Dong-Whee Choi of Korea, tied with four points each, hoping that they would get to compete in a qualifying play-off for a solitary berth in the Masters.

Qualifier Wrik Ganguly can scotch their hopes if he is able to beat the fourth-seeded Norikazu Sugiyama of Japan on the morrow. Ganguly will then overtake the four with 4.5 points, and grab the last of the 24 slots for the Masters. That is easily said than done, considering the prowess of the Japanese, who had started the circuit as the second seed.

The results:

Singles (first round): Joshua Goodall (GBR) bt Dong-Whee Choi (Kor) 6-3, 6-4; Pathanjali Ravishankar bt Atsufumi Yoshikawa (Ind) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1; Norikazu Sugiyama (Jpn) bt J. Vishnu Vardhan 6-4, 6-4; Syed Rahil bt Rohan Gide 5-7, 6-4, 6-4; Ajay Ramaswami bt David Brewer (GBR) 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 6-2; Luke Campbell (GBR) bt Shivang Mishra 7-6 7-4), 3-6, 6-3; Vinod Sridhar bt Vijay Kannan 6-3, 6-3; Hiu-Tung Yu (Hkg) bt Shahzad Khan (Pak) 6-2, 6-4; Vishaal Uppal bt Ross Hutchins (GBR) 6-4, 6-0.

Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Rishi Sridhar and Vinod Sridhar bt David Brewer and Richard Irwin (GBR) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; Aqeel Khan and Jaleel Khan (Pak) bt Joshua Goodall and Ross Hutchins (GBR) 6-4 (retired).

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