Grass tournaments (Challengers & ATP/WTA tour) 2019

[Omkara]

So upset. He had the game.

[knarayen]

RamK has to learn to play match point differently than other points, like so many have done. This used to be a problem with many indian players, and I thought it was getting better.

But then, I watched the Fed blow two MPs on his serve yesterday too.

Prof

[knarayen]

Ok RamK pulls it off 6-3 in the 3rd. Hats off !!

Prof

[arjun2761]

Minor correction. RamK actually broke serve in the 9th game of the 3rd set to win 6-3. Good solid win overall for RamK.

Hope he gets a good opponent in the MD. Potential opponents are Bublik (#83), Jung (#127), Mischa Zverev (#209), or Stakhovsky (#145). Probably Jung would give him the best chance of winning multiple rounds in the main draw....

[jaydeep]

A win against a good grass court player.

[PKBasu]

Terrific win for Ramkumar over Sugita Yuichi, the 2017 Antalya Open champion. That tournament of course was where RamK had the biggest win of his career, over Dominic Thiem. So one good grasscourter beat another today — I’m glad the Indian was on the winning side!!

[vparam]

Yikes, a 44 minutes one sided loss for Prajnesh. Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND,89) l. Marcel Granollers (ESP,98) 2-6, 2-6. Something is definitely not 100% with him. As for RamK, nice win to enter the main draw. Would like for him to face Jason Jung in the first round.

[Varma]

RamK plays #145 Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine. Not a bad draw, I guess!

- Varma

[Dinesh]

RamK plays #145 Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine. Not a bad draw, I guess!

Stakhovsky, irrespective of his ranking, has once defeated Federer in 2013 Wimbledon. So, it's not an easy matchup for Ramkumar.

[Sin Hombre]

Good win by Ram.

[Rajiv]

Great win by Ram., From the second set onwards against Istomin he is playing at a transformed level.

Of the possible match up's wanted Stakhovsky to be avoided, the Ukrainian is a now one of the rare genuine Grass court serve and volleyer left in the game, not only does he have a famous win over Federer at Wimbledon with a perfectly executed serve and volley plan, reminiscent of old school Austrialian players, but even took out Ram last year at one of the pre Wimbledon grass court challengers.

[sportsfan]

RamK has to learn to play match point differently than other points, like so many have done. This used to be a problem with many indian players, and I thought it was getting better.

But then, I watched the Fed blow two MPs on his serve yesterday too.

Prof

Just curious, how should the match points be played differently? More safe, avoid risks or be aggressive but then you're bound to make errors when the nerves are running high?

[jayakris]

Just curious, how should the match points be played differently? More safe, avoid risks or be aggressive but then you're bound to make errors when the nerves are running high?

I thought playing it like a regular 15-15 point in the first set at 2-2 is what one should do. Don't try to think. Just play your game. Not aggressive, and not safe. The other person has a higher chance to make a mistake anyway, so you just count on it and play your regular game. Only the winners have the confidence to play the regular game. But if you are playing somebody who is much much higher ranked than you, you may want to try something else because the regular game may not be enough??? ... Not sure. Anyway, this is all from a guy who never plays tennis -- so wait for what Prof says!

[jaydeep]

Jeevan and Purav r going through a mini-slump ... Here also, they lost in 2 tight tie-breaks against a Chinese pair.

At $652K Hall of Fame Open 2019, Newport, USA

[R1] (Q) Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND,134) vs Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR,145)

Doubles
[R1] Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan (IND)/ Purav Raja (IND) l Mao-Xin Gong (CHN)/ Ze Zhang (CHN) 67(3) 67(10)

[PKBasu]

Bizarre that Ramkumar has to qualify but lower-ranked Stakhovsky didn’t. I presume the latter’s ranking has fallen only recently. He isn’t the player any longer who achieved the Wimbledon upset. Reasonable chance for Ramkumar to win another match. His live ranking is 192 after qualifying in.

Both RamK’s singles and Leander’s doubles R1 matches will be second on adjacent courts (1 and 2) today.