Ramkumar, Myneni give India 2-0 lead

After battling for two hours and 36 minutes, the 21-year-old Ramkumar, ranked 217 in ATP singles list, was serving for the match when Seong Chan Hong suffered a thigh injury and conceded the match. Ramkumar was leading 6-3 2-6 6-3 6-5 (15-15) when Hong suddenly clenched his right thigh, grimacing in pain. It brought a sudden end to the match, taking a bit of sheen out of Ramkumar’s victory at the Chandigarh Club. The hot and humid conditions coupled with a tough surface took a toll on the Korean. 

The ball hardly rose above knee level on the surface after heavy rain here last night. Speaking after the match Ramkumar, who served 7 aces and 9 double faults said, “It’s a good win for me. I am happy with the way I played. Everyone was confident that I would do well before the match. It will be tough for Saketh (Myneni), but he will enjoy this surface. Hopefully he should win and we take a 2-0 lead today. Tomorrow, two big guys (Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna) will be up for us in the doubles.”

Saketh Myneni defeated YongKyu Lim in the second singles 6-1, 3-6, 6-4,3-6, 5-2 (retired). Ramkumar, who relied mostly on backhand slice, was also struggling but he broke the Korean in the seventh game when Hong netted a backhand and the Indian converted the breakpoint with a trademark inside out forehand winner. 

The Indian served four double faults and despite many errors, he managed to hold and broke Hong in the next game to sit pretty at 5-3. He won the ninth game and the first set. The Korean took the second set after leading 4-1. Ramkumar raced to a 5-2 lead in the third and almost won the eighth game but the Korean resisted and made it 3-5 but that was all he could do. A break in the very first game of the fourth set Ramkumar up nicely for the win. 

Ramkumar was serving for the match when the Korean suffered a thigh injury. Lim conceded the match when Myneni was 15-15 and serving for the match in the eighth game. It was after the two players fought tooth and nail for three hours and nine minutes. The 28-year-old Myneni, who played his first ever five-setter, threw his jersey and punched the air, to celebrate his victory. His teammates lifted him on the shoulders, acknowledging the grit showed in a tough contest.