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Great week for VSP. DHL has struggled to win his last 2 matches in straight sets. Can VSP take a set?
Prajnesh should not be having any hiccups defeating the #603 ranked Japanese regardless of his form.

VSP takes a set off Lee but loses in 3 sets. Prajnesh is thru to the final though getting closer and closer to the AO qualifying cut off.

At $25K Indonesia F2 futures, Jakarta

[SF] N. Vijay Sundar Prashanth (IND,588) l. (1) Duck Hee Lee (KOR,217) 62 16 16

[SF] (2) Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND,256) d. Renta Tokuda (JPN,603) 61 36 63

Next,

[F] (2) Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND,256) vs. (1) Duck Hee Lee (KOR,217)

VSP is in doubles final with his Indonesian partner.

Timely work by Pajnesh. This should move him up near #240 and he can certainly book his air tickets to the AO qualies now. Can he stop Duck-Hee?

This year (2017) the cut-off was highest for a few years - initial cut of 229 and final cut of 247. In earlier years the cut off was higher. So, this should be good enough for Prajnesh but with a win in the finals, he should get in the initial entry list itself. Prajnesh is 2-0 against Duck-Hee beating him twice last year. Time to make it a hat-trick.

sameerph wrote: ↑Sat Dec 02, 2017 5:38 pmThis year (2017) the cut-off was highest for a few years - initial cut of 229 and final cut of 247.

Was it 229? Wow. I don't remember it ever being much higher than 245 or so. Actually I even remember the initial cut being below 300, some 10-15 years ago.

Yes, I remember 270 was quite safe till few years back to make the qualies. I think they increased the prize money a lot for slam qualies a few years back. After that even 250 is not safe. Last year RamK missed out by 1 spot at AO when he was ranked 248. He travelled to Australia and had to return without playing.

Still Prajnesh with ranking close to 240 should be safe now.

Prajnesh is down 36 11. he dropped serve in the third game at the only BP that either player got in the set. Seems to be a relatively close match.

I don't know why they scheduled both the finals at the same time. VSP/Barki also got broken once (in the 2nd game) and just lost the first set 4-6

Prajnesh takes the second set 6-4 against converting the only breakpoint of that set in 10th game.

Timely break there, but a very untimely drop of serve following that, too... I think he won 5 points in a row to take that set, and Duck Hee won the next 7 points to go ahead once again. Yikes. 36 64 02.

And he breaks back in the 4th game at the first AD out BP. 36 64 22... Saved two BPs and held after a couple of deuces. DH holds at 30... 3-3. PG serves an ace to get out of 15-30 trouble and holds. 4-3.

VSP/Barki converted their third set point from 6-3 in the tiebreaker to send it to an STB. No breaks at all in the second set, and none since the first game of the match, but VSP/Barki saved 6 of 7 BPs on them in the match, though they never got a single BP on the other guys... And they stepped on the pedal i the STB and ran away with the match. Wow.... 36 76(5) [10-4] ... VSP gets the doubles title with Justin Barki (INA), over Sora Fukuda (JPN)/ Scott Puodziunas (AUS)...

Two more aces from Prajnesh, as he holds at love. 36 64 54. Duck-Hee serving to stay in the match... Holds at 15 without much trouble. 5-5. PG also does his job at 15 with one more ace... 36 64 65. Now Duck-Hee again serving to stay alive. Again a hold at 15. Now we go to a tiebreaker for the match. Come on Prajnesh! ...

TB: PG starts. 1-0... gets a mini, 2-1... (PG) 4-1... (DHL) 4-3... (PG) 5-3 and gives the mini back... (DHL) 5-6... PG) 6-6 (saves MP), ouch, loses a mini... (DHL) 6-7 MP. Now the online scoreboard is stuck. Did the umpire forget to press the button on the final point?... Okay, he just pressed it after a delay (or they played a 120 shot rally!)... Either way, close but no cigar.

[F] (2) Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND,256) l. (1) Duck Hee Lee (KOR,217), 36 64 67(6)

Oh...so...darn...close!!!!

Unfortunately Prajnesh does NOT score a Duck!

What a thrilling match, though! He should take a lot of confidence and positives from it anyway!

Anyway, a great year for Prajnesh. Those three back to back finals in the 3 Indian $15K (with 2 titles) and later three more futures finals abroad in $25K events (one title). So he has 3 titles in 6 finals, to go with the SF at the big $100K Tiburon challenger in California and QFs at the Fergana and Bangalore challengers. One things is very clear - his ranking in the top-250 is absolutely legit. If he stays healthy and focused, he can move into the top-200 or 150, because he is quite clearly comfortable at the challenger level.

That was too close a loss. Yes, his ranking seems very legitimate. He should now focus on his off-season training with an immediate goal to qualify into Pune ATP and Aus Open next month. If the draw gods favor him, he might sneak in a main-draw win at one of these two places. That will not only boost his confidence but will also fatten his pockets enough to travel and play wherever he benefits the most for at least a few months in 2018.

Good luck, Prajnesh!

- Varma

Oh dear, such a close loss. It seems Prajnesh missed his chances in the third set tie break. Anyway, not a bad effort against the talented Korean. I only hope that he comfortably makes the AO qualies draw and does not have to wait till last moment as RamK did last year at AO and Saki a couple of years back ( and both eventually ended up at 1-2 out from qualies draw).

Prajnesh could have made it sure by playing one of the futures next week, perhaps the Thailand F11 which is close to Indonesia. But, it seems he is confident that he would have or now will make it to the AO qualies draw.

Btw, with that title VSP will be close to 230 in the doubles rankings. With a singles ranking outside 500, I guess VSP is getting close to becoming a doubles specialist, similar to Vishnu and Balaji. He will need to find a regular doubles partner ranked around or close to 200 and can play doubles at most of the challengers next year.