European Challengers 2020

[PKBasu]

It's tiebreaker time for Ramkumar in the first set against Quentin Halys.

On serve in the TB, Ramkumar leads 4-3. RamK has a minibreak to make it 5-4, but gives it back for 5-5. Ace 6-5 (set pt). WINS the first set 76(5).

[PKBasu]

Ramkumar serving for the match, at 76(5) 53. And he WINS!!

[R1] Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND, 207) d. Quentin Halys (FRA, 209) 76(5) 63

[sameerph]

True. Prajnesh's match against an Argentine qualfier at 6 pm India time today followed by RamK's match on same court. Sumit's match at Cologne ATP at 7.30 pm India time which will be about same time of RamK's match. Hope for at least 2 out of 3 wins.

We got 2 out of 3 wins but would have loved to see Sumit get the biggest win of his career but he could not after fighting hard for first 2 sets.

[Rajiv]

Yes, finally a win after a long time, the indoor fast carpet was to his liking

[jayakris]

Yeah, finally! let's get something going, RamK.

[arjun2761]

Good and much needed wins for both RamK and Prajnesh. Hope that they can go further in this tournament.

[Sanjay]

Good to see 2 wins, 3/3 would have been great, Sumit almost pulled it off!

[PKBasu]

Ramkumar plays Botic Van de Zandschlup (NED, 174) in the next round. The 25-year-old Dutchman thrashed a seeded Peruvian 61 60, so he may be enjoying the fast courts just as much as Ramkumar.

[Dinesh]

Ramk actually started well leading 2-1 in the first set and then all went downhill, lost 6-2 6-2.

[Dinesh]

Prajnesh comes through in 3 sets again.

6-4 5-7 6-4, fired 17 aces!!!

[arjun2761]

Awesome win by Prajnesh! Looks like he is finding his form after the pandemic break.

[Sanjay]

Prajnesh was awesome today. I watched the entire match.
He was on fire with his aces, and almost all his service games were at love. Lasko could barely score points off PG's service.

The next opponent is either a Qualifier or a Wild Card so should be easy. Lasko is the defending champion.

[prasen9]

Well that qualifier or wildcard has been winning to get to the quarters. So, may not be that easy. Anyway, I am happy that Lasko was found lacking. I just wish that Prajnesh did not go slacko in the middle set. He has played two three setters now. Hopefully, a quick quarterfinals against an easy player.

[Rajiv]

A massive win for Praj over the defending champion and a former top 50, seems to be finding his form at the right moment and hope he goes deep in this tourney.
For Ram same time last year in Glasgow, on a similar indoor fast surface,Ram routed the same opponent is straight sets, and today barring couple of games in the first set, looked very unfocused and listless in the rest of the match.

[sameerph]

A very good win by Prajnesh over a former top 50 player. Watched the first set of Prajnesh's match and almost whole of RamK match.

RamK was back to the same old failed tactics of rushing in to net on every first or second serve and getting passed or lobbed so many times. Also passive in his return games, just slicing and slicing all the time. Why he does not realise that he is not going to win too many against these level players with this game.

Prajnesh was a totally different player that what I saw in the first round. In the first round, he was tentative and passive especially on breakpoints. Here he was aggressive from word go and broke Lacko in the very first game which gave him confidence. Also his servying was top notch. Hope he keeps up this level now this and coming weeks.

To summarise yesterday's results -

[R2] Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND,207) l. Botic Van de Zandschulp (NED,174) 26 26

[R2] (7) Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND,152) d. Lukas Lacko (SVK,188) 64 57 64