The Hindu : Sport : Prakash self-destructs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 20, 2006

Sport

Sport

Prakash self-destructs

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

Chikmagalur: A high flying Prakash Amritraj was brought down by unseeded Jan Masik of Czech Republic, who registered a stunning 7-5, 6-1 second round upset in the Coffee Cup ATP Challenger tennis championship at the Centenary Stadium courts here on Wednesday.

Leading 5-4 and serving for the first set, sixth-seeded Prakash Amritraj was very much in the groove. His serves were kicking off, volleys were sharp and his unseeded rival was on the run. When it was time to step on the gas, Prakash, after leading 15-0, inexplicably served a double fault.

Masik grabbed the free point, battled past two deuces and broke back while Prakash had two volley errors — one into the net and another sailing wide. The script had changed. And in a remarkable turnaround, Masik settled into a nice rhythm to defeat his fancied rival.

"I was serving well but my head let me down. I started thinking I am a better player and I should be winning and I got tentative and lost focus. I stepped off the gas," said Prakash, ranked 229, while recounting his horrors against an opponent ranked 350.

In control

Until that fatal tenth game, Prakash had ruled. The Indian broke Masik in the third game and with a nice mix of serve-and-volley left his rival bemused. A few drop shots also affected Masik and the match seemed headed for an Indian triumph.

The Czech never looked back after drawing level in the tenth game. He won the next two games, clinching the set as Prakash committed a forehand error.

Masik left a firm imprint in the second set by winning it in 29 minutes. He held serve and broke Prakash in the second as the Indian was beaten at the net and made matters worse with two double faults.

Meanwhile, Masik began to fire aces and kept passing Prakash at the net. Prakash briefly stepped back to the baseline and tried to chip. But with excess spin, the balls kept sailing wide and after he failed to hold serve in the fourth game too, the contest was truly over.

Getting better

Masik served nine aces to Prakash's five and the Czech had three double faults to the Indian's five. But more than the figures, Masik just kept getting better as the match progressed, whipping some stinging forehands while Prakash looked a shadow of his former self. Though a few errant line calls marred both the players, the Czech held his nerve in the end.

Meanwhile, American Phillip King, the lucky loser who replaced an injured Harsh Mankad in the main draw, scored the day's second upset with a 6-4, 7-6(4) victory over fifth-seeded Pavel Snobel of the Czech Republic.

The results (Indian unless specified):

Singles (second round): Jan Masik (Cze) bt Prakash Amritraj 7-5, 6-1; Danai Udomchoke (Tha) bt Laurent Recouderc (Fra) 6-4, 6-3; Yen Hsun Lu (Tpe) bt Adrian Cruciat (Rom) 6-3, 6-4; Phillip King (U.S.) bt Pavel Snobel (Cze) 6-4, 7-6(4).

Doubles (first round): Luke Bourgeois (Aus)/Marco Chiudinelli (Sui) bt Kamil Capkovic (Svk)/Lukas Lacko (Svk) 6-3, 6-4; Jesse Huta Galung (Ned)/Laurent Recouderc (Fra) bt Karan Rastogi/Ashutosh Singh 6-4, 2-6, 10-4; Lukasz Kubot (Pol)/Pavel Snobel (Cze) bt Mustafa Ghouse/Vishal Uppal 6-4, 6-4; Victor Bruthans (Svk)/Jan Masik (Cze) bt Sebastian Rieschick (Ger)/Viktor Troicki (Scg) 6-3, 6-2.

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