Yuki Bhambri

[sameerph]

Yes, does look like Yuki is taking couple of weeks off and will be directly playing Wimbledon qualies. Saketh has entered with a different partner for next week's challenger in France too. So, he will continue on clay.

[PKBasu]

Bizarre decisions continue, but he is indeed playing the Wimbledon qualifiers (I learnt from Saketh). It makes no sense to play the qualifiers without any match-practice on the surface, but that's what he seems to be going for. Of course, no points at Wimbledon, but a bit of money to be made. Given the lack of points, I thought it would have made sense to play at Nottingham or Surbiton qualifiers (as he squeezed into both places). Or to try playing at Ilkley next week before going to Roehampton for the Wimbledon qualifiers.

[Omkara]

It's the mind of a body that has got injured too many times. The mind knows should he get injured again, there is no coming back. So he is more cautious than anyone in this world. Let him enjoy his game.

Who knows may be he is finally taking right decisions. Based on his body type.

[Rajiv]

Yuki has entered the singles at Newport and is 6 out in the Alt list using his PR, This tournament traditionally has many last minute withdrawal and then later also after removal of SE's, so easily Yuki should make the singles MD.
But will he play and compete for the singles is another matter.

Ram meanwhile doesn't even figure in the official Alt list and is way down in the list of Alternates, so will be taking the qualies route.

[sameerph]

I think if he has entered with his PR he will play. He has saved all his PR for US season. So, he has to start using them now.

I really hope Yuki along with either RamK or Saketh gets a doubles wild card.

[vishalg]

Surprisingly he is in the qualifying draw at Malaga challenger.
He made it in as alternate, must have been on-site as I didn't see him in the alternate list earlier.

He got first round bye and plays Omar Jasica (AUS) for a place in main draw.
Its on hard court so I would fancy his chances.

Alt. Yuki Bhambri (624) Vs 8. Omar Jasica (424)

[Omkara]

So he didn't use his protected ranking. Good decision

[jayakris]

Surprisingly he is in the qualifying draw at Malaga challenger.
He made it in as alternate, must have been on-site as I didn't see him in the alternate list earlier.

Well, isn't that a nice surprise! Come on Yuki, win a few rounds. Let us get back into this!

[prashanthm]

Malaga Open, Spain - CH80

Comfortable win for Yuki and get into the main draw.....

[Q-F] (Alt) Yuki Bhambri (IND, 626) d. (8) Omar Jasica (AUS, 429) 64 63

He'll be up against Kuznetsov in the first round of main draw with a possibly clash with 7th seed Mmoh in the second round...

[R1] (Q) Yuki Bhambri (IND, 626) v. Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS, 218)

In doubles, Yuki/Saki are seeded second and will be up against Kuznetsov/Donskoy...

[sameerph]

First time Yuki will be playing in a challenger main draw since June 2018. Hope he gets at least 1 win in the main draw if not more. That will keep him interested in singles.

[Sanjay]

Yuki gave a walkover??
Injured again??

[arjun2761]

He did play 2 doubles matches after the walk over. So this was a walk over in anticipation of injury from playing singles?

[PKBasu]

Yuki has a bigger problem now. He applied for a US P1 visa in Delhi, but his appointment there is in Sept 2023!! Yes


So I've spoken to the Indian ambassador to France (a friend from college days). He is a tennis fan, knows about Newport, and says he has followed Yuki's career trajectory and watched him play. So he is doing all he can to help, including speaking to his counterpart in Portugal, and perhaps to the US embassy in France, to try and get this done really quickly. He asked for Yuki's phone number, and is taking it forward. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

[Rajiv]

Yes the Ambassador level connections do help a lot.

As similar case for Ram , his passport was damaged,  and the Chinese consulate in Hong Kong rejected the visa application due to the passport being damaged.
The next day ,spoke to the Indian counsel General of Hong Kong who was kind enough to meet us and even spend about half hour with us and later told us to again submit the visa application to the Chinese consulate after speaking to his counterparts in the Chinese consulates along with the referral letter.

After 2 days the Visa with multiple entries was ready and Shri Ram then ranked 110 was off to Shanghai  Masters (after a rigorous 2 hour hit with me ) and in the opening round of qualies went on to beat then 93 ranked Cameron Norrie in straight sets.

And today Norrie  similarly ranked as Ram during that defeat is playing the Wimbledon semi finals.

[Rajiv]

@PKB, probably rather then waiting , you could just advise Yuki to straight head to nearest USA consulate and explain his case and as it was with Ram in many cases the consulates take descrionary decision and issues visa on the spot.

For example while discussing the usual scheduling, a Seoul Challenger came up which I wanted him to play and he was in Atlanta that time and told him to rush to the S. Korean consulate in Atlanta and bingo he got the visa for Korea.
Or he didn't have Japan visa for Yokohama Challenger, told him to come to HongKong and after explaining his case to the officer immediately got him a visa, but the officer explained that such urgent visa are only issued under "Entertainer" category,  and told a perplexed Ram when he saw his profession as Entertainer , and mockingly told him if the immigration guy asks what's the entertainment profession you are,  just wear that orange Pagdi from the DC tie in Pune and take out your raquet and do some jugling with Tennis balls, (ofcourse that didn't happen nor would the immigration officer ask).

So much I have taught Ram about last minute visa approvals that he is a pro now and can hustle his way to get last minute visa's any where in the world he is in, and that I jokingly tell him after his Tennis career is over,  so much he has learned,  that he should open a Ramkumar visa services centre.