Sumit in 2nd round; others disappoint

CHENNAI: On an otherwise disappointing day for India, Sumit Nagal saved the host nation’s blushes in the Chennai Open Challenger singles competition with a straight-set victory over Ryan Peniston of Great Britain in the first round at the SDAT Tennis Stadium here on Tuesday.

Sumit, who progressed to the main draw after getting past the qualifying rounds, posted a 6-4, 6-4 win over the fourth-seeded Ryan in the last match of the day on Centre Court. Rankings counted for little during the contest as World No.506 Sumit got the job done against World No.147 Ryan in just two sets.

But, the other Indians in the fray – Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Ramkumar Ramanathan and Mukund Sasikumar – disappointed. Prajnesh, who got injured towards the end of the match, went down fighting 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(4) to Briton Jay Clarke while fellow main draw wildcard entrant Ramkumar suffered a 3-6, 6-7(3) defeat at the hands of Bulgarian Dimitar Kuzmanov. Mukund was no match for Australia’s Max Purcell, suffering a 2-6, 2-6 loss.

The journey of Leo Borg, the son of Bjorn Borg and third main draw wildcard entrant, ended in the first round as Hamad Medjedovic defeated him 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.

RESULTS:

First round: James Duckworth bt Carlos Sanchez Jover 6-4, 6-2; Sumit Nagal bt Ryan Peniston 6-4, 6-4; Petr Nouza bt Luca Nardi 6-4, 7-5; Dane Sweeny bt Francesco Maestrelli 6-3, 6-4; Dalibor Svrcina bt Alibek Kachmazov 6-2, 6-3; Dimitar Kuzmanov bt Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-3, 7-6(3); Jay Clarke bt Prajnesh Gunneswaran 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4); Jason Jung bt Harold Mayot 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(5), James McCabe bt Yu Hsiou Hsu 6-1, 6-4; Hamad Medjedovic bt Leo Borg 6-1, 4-6, 6-2; Max Purcell bt Mukund Sasikumar 6-2, 6-2