Asia-Australia ATP Challengers 2022

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Atithee
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Re: Asia-Australia ATP Challengers 2022

Post by Atithee »

jayakris wrote: Thu Nov 17, 2022 3:23 pm Me too. Would love to have that. May need to wait for Dhruv to make an appearance. It has been quite a while since he has appeared with a post or a message to us Mods (though his invisible presence is there, as the forum has rarely if ever gone down even for a few minutes and he has been the sole owner and sys-admin for nearly two decades). Will pass it on when we can, to Dhruv.
We used to have a +/- (karma, or something similar it was called) about 6-8 years ago. It became a source of “heavy heart” at times. It lasted about two years and was discontinued. Not sure if it was a conscious decision though.
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Re: Asia-Australia ATP Challengers 2022

Post by prashanthm »

Atithee wrote: Fri Nov 18, 2022 4:38 am We used to have a +/- (karma, or something similar it was called) about 6-8 years ago. It became a source of “heavy heart” at times. It lasted about two years and was discontinued. Not sure if it was a conscious decision though.
Now that you mention it, I remember something like that too...
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Re: Asia-Australia ATP Challengers 2022

Post by jayakris »

At the Challenger 80 in Kobe:

[QF] Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND,289) l. (7) Yosuke Watanuki (JPN,196), 57 16
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Re: Asia-Australia ATP Challengers 2022

Post by sameerph »

So, RamK really showed spark in his play only for 1 match it seems. Only 1 week left for him now with his 80 points from last year's Baharain challenger title on line. He is at 280 in live rankings. So, even if he wins the title next week, he is not going to make it to AO qualies.

In worse case, if he loses in first round next week, he will move down around 425-430 in the rankings. Will not be able to make challenger main draws next year. But then he has no points to defend till May next year as he lost in first round everywhere in first 4 months of this year. So, if he really plays well can make it back to top 300 range in first 3 months of next year. ( particularly with 3-4 Indian challengers planned in Feb-March next year as per reports). Key for him is to play well ( like he did in Japan open qualies last month ) or in first match here it seems. Then, getting back the ranking will not be an issue.
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Re: Asia-Australia ATP Challengers 2022

Post by Rajiv »

Ram heard us and for a set and half just focused on his game, but at 13 in S2 with the match slipping away, again got in an argument with the umpire.

A average player in R1, and retirement in R2 was not a good indicator,and in this first real test till 5 all was looking good and serving was on song even saving BP's,but the age old adage of nerves at 5/6 or at TB's struck and suddenly the set slipped away and the match.

Next Monday in the live rankings will start at about 420 and how he navigates this uncharted territory which he was at 8 years ago remains to be seen.
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Re: Asia-Australia ATP Challengers 2022

Post by sameerph »

Yes, it was way back in August 2014 when RamK was outside top 300 last time and that was before he turned 20 and now it is going to happen again.
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Re: Asia-Australia ATP Challengers 2022

Post by jayakris »

The proverbial "next week" is here again!

At the Challenger 80 in Yokkaichi, Japan (Hard):

[Q1] Arjun Kadhe (IND,572) vs (WC) Koki Matsuda (JPN,902)

[R1] Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND,381) vs (1) Kaichi Uchida (JPN,161)
[R1] Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND,289) vs Qualifier TBD
[R1] Mukund Sasikumar (IND,349) vs (WC) Naoki Nakagawa (JPN,448)
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Re: Asia-Australia ATP Challengers 2022

Post by jayakris »

[Q1] Arjun Kadhe (IND,572) l. (WC) Koki Matsuda (JPN,902), 57 76(4) 26
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Re: Asia-Australia ATP Challengers 2022

Post by Rajiv »

I would be least surprised if Praj wins even though the Japanese is the top seed , the Japanese had scrappy wins against guys ranked over 200 while Prajnesh has been playing at a higher level of Tennis plus has the experience.
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Re: Asia-Australia ATP Challengers 2022

Post by jayakris »

^^^ Agree. If the surface is to Prajnesh's liking, he is in form to pull the upset of the top seed.

Praj and RamK will be playing the R1 on Tuesday. Mukund plays on Monday at around 12 noon (8:30 am IST)
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Re: Asia-Australia ATP Challengers 2022

Post by jayakris »

At Yokkaichi,

[R1] (1) Arjun Kadhe (IND)/ Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND) vs Toshihide Matsui (IND)/ Kaito Uesugi (IND)
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Re: Asia-Australia ATP Challengers 2022

Post by arjun2761 »

Both Watanuki and Shelton went on to win their respective challengers, so Ramk and Prajnesh lost to in form players. Hopefully, that means our guys are in decent form and do well this week!
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Re: Asia-Australia ATP Challengers 2022

Post by jayakris »

Mukund's R1 match at the Yokkaichi challenger - Live Stream

Mukund had beaten Naoki Nakagawa at the Busan challenger Q2 rather easily, 63 64, a month ago. Can he do an encore? (Edit: Sameer reminds me, below, that he had lost to Nakagawa last week too)

So far so good, as both have held serve without facing any BPs. 3-2... Breaks Nakagawa, mainly from some mistakes by NN. Mukund is not playing all that well, but not making too many mistakes. NN is being a bit more a aggressive than MS, but making mistakes. Mukund had a DF and lost a 28-shot rally to be down 0-30, but 2 aces and a service winner helped him hold. 5-2... MS takes the set 6-3

Mukund broke in the first game of the second set to lead 2-0. Faced his first break at 2-1 but came up with an ace at break point and held. 3-1... Though he is winning, I don't like Mukund's tennis today. No smoothness there, and I often feel that he can hit those shots better. Too loopy at times, or too flat at other times. But again, he is not playing badly either. If he makes a mistake, he generally seems to play the next point better though. Has done that all day. Just double faulted but came up with a couple of good points to hold. 4-2... At 4-3, finally NN got two aggressive shots to fall (and was helped by a forehand that was too aggressive/long from MS). Broken. 4-4. Mukund is not playing well, and should watch it here. He has unnecessarily allowed the Japanese to get back into the game. I don't have a good feeling about it at all. And haven't had a good feeling all match, really. An ace and a love game from NN, and it is 4-5. I will expect Mukund to drop serve and lose this set right here. Hope he makes me eat crow. He does. I love the taste of crow. He stopped the bleeding there. 5-5... NN holds at 30. The Japanese is really hitting some hard shots, and Mukund continues to do nothing to take control of the points. I hardly remember any points where Mukund really tried to take control and dominate NN like I think he can. Just not doing it. But MS holds at 40, still. 6-6 and on to a TB.

Down a mini early, on an FH that was an inch wide, but NN had a DF and MS stayed tough on some rallies, and it is 5-2, up a mini. After NN served to 5-4, Mukund finished it on his serve at 7-4 with a service return netted by NN and a forehand from NN that strayed at match pt. Okay, Mukund got the job done! :dance:

At the Challenger 80 in Yokkaichi, Japan (Hard):
[R1] Mukund Sasikumar (IND,353) d. (WC) Naoki Nakagawa (JPN,469), 63 76(4)

Mukund flirted with trouble today, probably because he wwas not going for too much and waiting for Nakagawa to make mistakes. But he came through. On the other hand, I didn't like the lack of confidence in going for the harder shots to the lines, and he seemed to be error-prone when he tried some. He will need to play a lot better in the next round against the Korean who upset the 8th seed Dane Sweeney (AUS,163) today.

[R2] Mukund Sasikumar (IND,353) vs Yunseong Chung (KOR,361)
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Re: Asia-Australia ATP Challengers 2022

Post by prashanthm »

Mukund's perseverance paid off in the end..... :clap: He was mostly resilient in that second set tie-break.... :-)
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Re: Asia-Australia ATP Challengers 2022

Post by sameerph »

Ok, good to see a win even while not playing that well. Good revenge for last week's loss against Nakagawa.

Hope he plays better in next round and takes out the Korean.
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