Ramkumar Ramanathan thread

[jayakris]

Jay, please take over from here, especially if you're watching:

[R2] Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND,204) d. 5-Sebastian Ofner (AUT,168) 75 00 (retd)
Walkover now!

Yeah, I had taken over, but had nothing to do, so deleted my post to let you do the honors!

[Sanjay]

I started watching at the end but something came up and I see there was a walkover. What happened?

[jayakris]

He had 0-40 3BP on Ofner at 5-5, and broke him at 30-40 with a superb passing shot to a charging Ofner.

Every now and then he shows that he can hit that backhand topspin fiercely as well. Not sure why keeeps slicing most of the time still.

I think it is also a matter of mechanics. Footwork, maybe. He can hit the topspin backhand, but it is probably unreliable because he is not in proper position. I am not an expert, but my feeling is that his footwork is set for slicing (I think you move closer to the line of the ball?) and he can't make the top-spin shot effective from there. But occasionally he happens to be at the right distance and the BH topspin comes out screaming (and he screams too ). Actually the passing shot at that break-point surprised me. He was a bit jammed even there, but he still got it to come back across to the right place at high velocity.

[jayakris]

I started watching at the end but something came up and I see there was a walkover. What happened?

I think I heard Ofner tell the ump that he had a foot issue (left heal) as he left the court. He seemed to be paying quite alright though.

[sameerph]

He had 0-40 3BP on Ofner at 5-5, and broke him at 30-40 with a superb passing shot to a charging Ofner.

Every now and then he shows that he can hit that backhand topspin fiercely as well. Not sure why keeeps slicing most of the time still.

I think it is also a matter of mechanics. Footwork, maybe. He can hit the topspin backhand, but it is probably unreliable because he is not in proper position. I am not an expert, but my feeling is that his footwork is set for slicing (I think you move closer to the line of the ball?) and he can't make the top-spin shot effective from there. But occasionally he happens to be at the right distance and the BH topspin comes out screaming (and he screams too ). Actually the passing shot at that break-point surprised me. He was a bit jammed even there, but he still got it to come back across to the right place at high velocity.

You are right. I am also not a tennis expert. But, few years back during the Chennai Open, one of the commentators ( one of the former player, do not remember whom) remarked that RamK plays his backhand while he is on front foot and not from a back foot as almost everyone else does. So, makes it difficult for him to hit a topspin backhand. I wonder why this deficiency during all those years he spent in Spain.

Anyway, he and Bala also won their doubles QF.

At Mallorca Challenger 80 (Hard)

[QF] (3) Ramkumar Ramanthan (IND) / N.Sriram Balaji (IND) d. Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera (CHI) / Carlos Gomez-Herrera (COL) 63 60

Next,

Singles- [QF] Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND,204) vs. (1) Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN,123)

Doubles- [SF] (3) Ramkumar Ramanthan (IND) / N.Sriram Balaji (IND) vs. (2) Fernando Rombali (BRA) / Jan Zielinski (POL)

Tough match in singles against Japanese top seed. But, RamK beat him in their only match back in 2016. Repeat that result, Ram.

[Rajiv]

Tough match in singles against Japanese top seed. But, RamK beat him in their only match back in 2016. Repeat that result, Ram.

Yes he has that win , but the Japanese was ranked 300 something at that time , clearly remember that win , because after the win he texted me "Uncle I Won" , and later , when i spoke , he said , he is feeling that he is getting there( to playing top 150 tennis ) , as that time there was still a heavy mixture of Futures also in that scheduling
And reach he did , after that R1 over Yuchiyama made the that Challenger semis , and later in the year had wins over guys like Radu Albot , and by 2017 was firmly playing top 150 tennis where he made 3 challenger Finals , and in 2017 even made Anatalya qtrs with a win over Dominic Thiem.
Also during that year (2016) during Futures , had 2 Future titles both time it was Ofner , the same guy who retired yesterday and there was also one famous Futures title over FAA in Spain.

[sameerph]

RamK wins the first set 6-4 against top seed Uchiyama.

[sameerph]

Damn, RamK had been holding comfortably thru this match with no breakpoints and then all of a sudden serving at 5-4, 40-15 he loses 4 straight points to lose the game and the set. Uchiyma hit a couple of great passing shots there. RamK may stay back at least on few points for change up.

1 set all.

[Sanjay]

Tiebreak!

CMON RR!

[PKBasu]

64 46 66(5-6). Uchiyama serving for the match in the TB.
Sadly, Uchiyama does serve it out. Ramkumar lost 64 46 67(5) to the top seed in singles.

[Sanjay]

Here we go again.

[sameerph]

RamK won 5 more points than Uchiyama ( 106 to 101) but still lost. Just got tight on few key points in the 10th game of the second set and on couple of points in the third set tie break. These are the points which one needs to win against top 125 quality players like Uchiyama who do not miss a chance to pounce on such opportunities.

[Sanjay]

RamK won 5 more points than Uchiyama ( 106 to 101) but still lost. Just got tight on few key points in the 10th game of the second set and on couple of points in the third set tie break. These are the points which one needs to win against top 125 quality players like Uchiyama who do not miss a chance to pounce on such opportunities.

Strange thing is RR has a higher UTR than Uchiyama. RR should have won this.

[Rajiv]

Loss's to Polman, Donskoy and yesterday were simply huge opportunities lost, as the wins here would have pushed him to much higher level in terms of ranking, and in all these 3 losses, he was the player who was in control , and this makes it harder to take in.
Was it complacency or lapse of concentration, there was absolutely no need to lose the 9th game after being a set up and 40-15 on serve, and completely in control till that stage ,which allowed the Japanese back in to the game and take away the match.

[sameerph]

True, a missed opportunity for him to go up the rankings.
Also lost the doubles SF.

At Mallorca Challenger 80 (Hard)


Doubles- [SF] (3) Ramkumar Ramanthan (IND) / N.Sriram Balaji (IND) l. (2) Fernando Rombali (BRA) / Jan Zielinski (POL)
26 67(2)