Asian Challengers July-October 2017

[jaydeep]

This pair (Nagal/Ly) didn't just make the Wimbledon junior doubles final in 2015, they won the title!

Thanks PKB.

[PKBasu]

Saketh lost the first set 4-6 and has been broken in the first game of the second set. 46 01

[PKBasu]

Saketh lost 46 26 to Akira Santilan (AUS, 162).

[R1] (PR) Saketh Myneni (IND,722) l (6) Akira Santillan (AUS,162) 46 26

[sameerph]

Yuki breezes thru the first set 6-1 in 23 mins against Statham in Vietnam.

Sasi is 4-4 in the first set against Bolt in Australia.

[bujilover]

Yuki wins 6-1 6-4. Could have finished it 6-2 in the second set but struggled a little bit. Hope he defeats Ti Chen in R2.

[bujilover]

Also the weather in Ho Chi Minh city looks cloudy with showers thru the whole week. Let’s hope it doesnt interfere Yuki’s schedule to make him play more than one match a day.

[sameerph]

I think they have a roof facility at least for centre court. That would help.

I watched the first set. Yuki was playing at about the same level as he did in the match against Dzmhur. It looks like he continued the same way in the second set until the time came to serve for the match at 5-2. He needs to avoid these hiccups.

[PKBasu]

Great fight by 20 year old Sasi Kumar Mukund against 24-year-old Alex Bolt. But Sasi came up short in the end:

Traralgon Challenger

[R1] Sasi Kumar Mukund (IND, 396) l. Alex Bolt (AUS, 290) 75 57 46

[PKBasu]

[R1] 4-Yuki Bhambri (IND,146) d. Jose Statham (NZL,308) 61 64

Yuki edges up to 141 in the live ATP rankings. RamK is at a career-high 146 now.

Next up:

[R2] 4-Yuki Bhambri (IND, 146) vs. Ti Chen (TWN, 190)

Yuki has won all three previous matches against Ti Chen.

[sameerph]

Ti Chen is now ranked 325 not 190. He is 34 and keeps mixing challenger and futures. Has played few Indian in last few months- won against Sid Rawat, KU Singh and Balaji and lost against Vishnu. If Yuki is focussed, should not be too difficult for him.

[fabshab]

If no injury issues then i surely expect a straight sets win with a dominating score line
His serves have improved a lot and backhand too is becoming a firepower
Any chances that he could make the AO open main draw???
AO open is his lucky charm.....just have the feeeling that might the breakthrough event of his career...finger crossed

[PKBasu]

Yes, Ti Chen is ranked 325 now in singles. (ATP shows his doubles ranking first, which is 170). Should be an easy enough win for Yuki.

Yuki does have a good chance of making it to top-100 by the end of this year if he dominates the two Challengers in India next month ($50K+H in Pune starting 13 November, and $100K+H in Bangalore the following week). If he does, then he will not need to play AO qualifiers. And if he manages to win a round or two in the main draw at Melbourne, it will be up and up from there. (However, Yuki does need to defend his points from the Chennai Open too: last year, he qualified in and won a round; this year, he may not need to play qualifiers, but will need to win at least one round, preferably two, at the Pune ATP).

[Omkara]

Pkb, i love your optimism and a special treat to you if it comes true

Still i look beyond one round for Yuki.

[PKBasu]

Winning this week's tournament would take him to 120 in the singles rankings. Then Pune and Bangalore will be icing on the cake

[PKBasu]

VSP lost the first set 2-6 to top-seeded Taylor Fritz, but is ahead 2-1 (on serve) in the second set.