NEW DELHI: Ashutosh Singh served big when it mattered to record a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over the second-seeded Prakash Amritraj in the first round of the State Bank of Saurashtra $15,000 ITF Futures tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex here on Tuesday.

It was a memorable victory for the 24-year-old wild card as he recovered from a slow start to put it across the Davis Cupper who was returning to the circuit after July following a wrist injury.

Amritraj showed no trace of any rustiness early on. However, as the match progressed, it was Singh who gained a strangle-hold over the proceedings with his gutsy play that was much above his ranking of 932.

Over the years, Singh has missed many chances against top players, lacking the courage to finish it off after having created openings. But on Tuesday, he showed the resolve to come good.

The local lad broke Amritraj in the third game of the decider and served solid thereafter to race away with the match. Singh served out the match at love in the tenth game, and fired two successive aces to bring the curtains down.

Grim battle

To his credit, Amritraj, hitting a single-handed backhand fluently, had saved four breakpoints in the seventh game, and three matchpoints in the ninth, but was up against a player who was brimming with confidence and imagination.

The results: First round: Vivek Shokeen bt Vladislav Bondarenko (Ukr) 6-2, 6-7(1), 6-1; Xavier Pujo (Fra) bt Sriram Balaji 6-4, 6-3; Petar Jelenic (Cro) bt Hiroki Kondo (Jpn) 6-4, 7-6 (6); Todor Enev (Bul) bt Vishaal Uppal 6-4, 6-3; Ashutosh Singh bt Prakash Amritraj 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail