India Challenger100s, February-March 2023

[jayakris]

Finally gets a 2BP at 15-40 and converts the first one. Up 2-0 in the 3rd. Promptly falls to 0-40 and gets broken. He just DOES NOT play well when he is ahead. I just can't get it. Two poor serves and two poor shots. Broken back. On serve at 1-2... Now 4-4 all even. 10 aces each for the guys.

After a mishit to the net with a bad ball (literally; they changed the ball!) and then a netchord that almost fell in, Sumit faced a BP at 30-40 at 4-4. I loved the aggression on the the next three points to hold serve. Great work there from Summit. 5-4

And he takes it on his 4th match point, winning a 14 shot rally!!!! YEAH !!!!

That was a long last game. Code violation racquet abuse and an argument between Sumit and the Ump; a 17-shot rally that got Sumit his first match point, two tremendous service winners by Uchiyama at match points (and one mistake by Sumit on another match point), Umpire asking the spectators to turn the camera light off, Sumit asking somebody to sit down in the stands, etc. Not exactly bad drama but engrossing (see the ending portion in the archival video). Anyway, Sumit got the job done in the end!!! He really played quite aggressively ever after the BP on him in the 9th game. That was nice to see. Go Sumit!!!

[R1] (WC) Sumit Nagal (IND,387) d. Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN,284), 76(3) 46 64

[jayakris]

Was that Somdev in a chair behind where Sumit had his towels at the far left corner in the camera? Sumit seemed to be turning and looking that way quite often. Whoever it was, that person probably helped

[Rajiv]

So a good win for Sumit under pressure and to finally prevail.
But shouldn't be complacent as was playing an out of form player who has seen better days , as last week thought Ram too played well against the Japanese, but immediately in the ensuing round ,Uchiyama got routed in straight sets by a 400 something player , and even though got in as a LL lost to same player R1 whom he lost in FQR.

So one match at a time for Sumit, and hope he can translate it into more wins and break into the top 300 by the end of this week.

And that embarrassing situation of arguments again raised its head when Sumit missed an easy ball and then hit his raquet few times on the court for which the umpire rightly warned him for raquet abuse and damage to the court and got into the argument and even had the audacity to say that the raquet slipped of his hand.., Sigh.. this is one area where Ram and Sumit have set high standards.

[Omkara]

While Sumit has been able to take some advantage of the home tournaments, Prajnesh couldn't. His match is post Kadhe's match. Let's see what he can do. I was hoping for atleast two QFs from home. Let's hope is does atleast one.

[sameerph]

Prajnesh has just taken the first set 76(5) against top seed Duckworth. Keep it up, Praj.

Before that Arjun lost in straights sets.

[R1] (WC) Arjun Kadhe (IND,672) l. Maximilian Neuchrist (AUT,255) 26 57

[knarayen]

Sumit's match was unusual - he went for more on his serves in the first set getting to 7 aces - I am sure Somdev asked him to up his serve game to get some quicker points since the Pune surface is a bit quicker compared to Bangalore surface.

If I were Somdev I would be setting some goals for Sumit for this match. This definitely put some pressure on Sumit to cut down on unforced errors and fight hard on the big points. I could see it and he lost his temper a few times. All good - the guy needs to have a fire lit under his backside by his coach.

But I 'm sure Somdev is still pissed at the way he played the final game of the 3rd set , back to defensive grinding when he is ahead, when he should be attacking and finding all kinds of ways to transition from defense to attack. He is scared, I can see it. No confidence there - he cannot win if he carries this into the next match.

I hope to heck Somdev reads this - light a fire under the guy's ass to get more aggressive when he is ahead.

Prof

[knarayen]

I simply cant figure out the Prajnesh guy - he fights hard to win the first set, and then completely loses it in the first game of the second set - donates it to his opponent, and continues to donate his serve games to Duskworth - and now he is going to tank the second set and get Duckworth back into the match. Not only that, the guy gets sitter opportunities to transition to the net and kill off volleys and instead retreats to the baseline and indulges in more baseline bashing at great risk and loses point after point.

What is it with these guys Sumit and Prajnesh? Can nobody tell them how idiotic it looks?

I feel like the young kid who has noticed that the emperor is naked!!

It is unbearable to watch.

30-40 down - prajnesh hits a great serve wide - sitter of a Duckworth return - prajnesh hits a great cross-court backhand with Duckworth scrambling to get it back - AND PRAJNESH RETREATS TO THE BASELINE!!!!

If he had been at the net, he could simply tapped the ball away for a winner. Duckworth was completely out of position.

HE THEN PROCEEDS TO GET INTO A RALLY INTO A DEFENSIVE POSITION AND DONATES THE GAME TO DUCKWORTH!!!

i am stopping watching this - I am going crazy with anger.

Why is this guy destroying his own career?

Prof

[knarayen]

I suppose anyone who looks at the score would say - "Prajnesh put up a good fight - look he took Duskworth to 3 sets - he was last weeks finalist".

Well, Bullsh*t. Crappola. He deserves twenty rounds around the complex, and a hundred situps, and one hundred pushups until he falls down with exhaustion. Then, he needs to get up and run twenty rounds again.

That is what I would do to him if I were his coach.

Prof

[knarayen]

If I were the DC captain, I would remove Gunneswaran from the Davis Cup team until he makes some serious changes to his game. I will point out what he needs to do - give him a timeframe and goals - and suspend him from DC duty until he hits his goals.

This is for his own good.

Prof

[sameerph]

Final score in Prajnesh's match-

[R1] Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND,313) l. (1) James Duckworth (AUS,112) 76(5) 26 36

Mukund playing last 2 weeks winner Purcell right now. 3-3 in first set.

[sameerph]

Mukund breaks Purcell at 15 to lead 5-3 and has a chance to serve for the set.

And from 15-30 down won 3 straight points with an ace, service winner and excellent backhand pass to take the first set 6-3.

Now important thing is keep it going.

[sameerph]

And Mukund goes a break down immediately in second set for 0-2, served a df at bp. Something I feared.

[sameerph]

But, Mukund breaks right back with some good play for 1-2. Hope he starts serving well again now like first set.

[jayakris]

So, all three Indians won the first set, and started the second set by dropping serve. That is a pattern we have seen more often than not.

[Sanjay]

Indians have a habit of relaxing after getting ahead. Lack of killer instinct to finish off the opponent. We used to see this in cricket in the old days.