European Challengers 2022

[suresh]

Next week at Aix-en-Province France, Ram will have a brand new dbls partner in Yuki.

Rajiv is like Woj/Shams for the NBA. He has inside info.

[Rajiv]

@Suresh,let's meet in person and the exchanges can be much more interesting

[PKBasu]

Next week at Aix-en-Province France, Ram will have a brand new dbls partner in Yuki.

This is delightful news! They will make a potent partnership. It'll be great to have the effective India #1 and 2 (in singles, #2 and 3 in doubles) travelling, playing and practicing together. So I hope this is more than a 1-tournament partnership.

Ramkumar is now #83 in the individual doubles rankings (a career-high), so capable of getting into Slam doubles main draws with a decent partner (anyone ranked inside top-70).
Yuki is still only #347 in doubles, albeit slowly edging up. He will still be needing to enter doubles main draws with his protected ranking (and I suspect he only has 2-3 more tournaments in which to use the PR). But 83+347 might be able to make it in to some Challengers without using the PR.

[suresh]

@Suresh,let's meet in person and the exchanges can be much more interesting

Sure! Ping me if you are in Chennai.

[sameerph]

Good news that RamK and Yuki are finally pairing up together next week.

This week both our pairs lost in first round.

At Rome1 Challenger 80, Italy (Red Clay)

[R1] (3) Arjun Kadhe (IND) / Sergio Martos Gomes (ESP) l. Altuh Celikbilek (TUR) / Ergi Kirkin (TUR) 46 76(3) 3-10

[R1] N. Sriram Balaji (IND) / Vishnu Vardhan (IND) l. (2) Jasper De Jong (NED) / Bart Stevens (NED) 67(5) 26

Next week Balaji will pair up with Jeevan at Prague Challenger while Vishnu play along side a new foreign partner.

[arjun2761]

If their chemistry is right, tennis-wise I expect Yuki-RamK to be ATP tour regulars in doubles (i.e., each with top 50 doubles ranks and higher if they click as a pair).

Yuki completely dominates from the backcourt and in his service returns at the challenger level doubles that I have seen but his serve remains his weakness. However, a partner like Ramk who is also good at the net can really help Yuki hold his serves. RamK's own serves are lethal, so not much help needed there.

[Rajiv]

So it is Verdasco in the opener for Ram in Aix-en-Province Challenger, At Mexico compatriot Prajnesh ran the Spaniard close and nearly took the title,but for Ram in his present form it  just looks a difficult task replicating Praj's performance.

In dbls Ram/Yuki face a local French pairing who could be tricky opponents in home condition's,  and should they overcome could potentially face the top seeds Krajicek/Nys in R2.

Divij partnering Artem Sitak opens up against 3rd seeded pairing of Matos/Hernandez

[Sanjay]

Verdasco is No 108. I think this is going to be another L

Probably our guys should give up singles and just try to excel in doubles. Sumit can stay singles for a few more years.

Cupboard is bare, I hate to be a debbie downer.

[Atithee]

Cupboard is bare, I hate to be a debbie downer.

And, as far as even doubles go, I hate to be Tom Petty (no pun intended). His following song lyrics come to mind. Replace every accomplishment mentioned in this song with doubles success by Indians in almost all racquet sports, and it will sum up my feelings.

We got a man on the moon (it ain't nothin' to me)
We got more comin' soon (it ain't nothin' to me)
Got natives in New Guinea with gold in their teeth
Might mean somethin' to you
It ain't nothin' to me

.
.
.

We got smilin' politicians
Got songs from rich musicians
Called Tokyo long distance and the queen came for tea
Might mean somethin' to you
It ain't nothin' to me

[sameerph]

Cupboard is bare, I hate to be a debbie downer.

And, as far as even doubles go, I hate to be Tom Petty (no pun intended). His following song lyrics come to mind. Replace every accomplishment mentioned in this song with doubles success by Indians in almost all racquet sports, and it will sum up my feelings.

Where in all racquet sports ? In Badminton, we are far less successful in doubles than singles. And in Tennis too our doubles prowess is now going away.

At least in olympics, doubles medal is counted aa same value as singles. So, with our current success rate, I will still take some doubles achievement instead of having nothing.

[Atithee]

^^^
That’s why I quoted:

Might mean somethin' to you
It ain't nothin' to me

[Rajiv]

Verdasco is No 108. I think this is going to be another L

It has nothing to do with ranking but more to do on how he is playing at present, less then 12 months ago Ram on clay shell shackled a former Top 60 Blaz Kavcic 1 & 1 so if he had that  Red Clay court form and based on a premise that Praj nearly beat him(Verdasco) few weeks ago,  would have given Ram a 60-70% chance against the 38 yr veteran going into this match, but the overnight deterioration of Ram's singles play gives us little hope, and another worrying aspect is the serve is letting him down, minimum dozen to 18 aces were a norm, but in the last few matches DF's number is higher then the aces and in his last match had only a solitary ace to show in his loss.

And as far as dbls play is concerned,  I am 100% with Aithitee..For me too Dbls is just BS and a waste of time.., Leander I don't even know about his or have in my mind how many Grand Slam dbls Trophies or his ATP Dbls titles where and how many he achieved.

But LP singles exploits..., his first Challenger in Guangzhou in 91 as a LL, and immediately the next week following up with semis in Hkg with win over Rafter, and that 94-96 period where he consistently made Challengers SF's /F's , and with titles in far flung places like, Brasilia,Mauritius,Winnetka, Bombay, and wins over Rios, Sampras on the tour ,DC singles exploits is still out there fresh in my mind.

[rajitghosh]

Lee was a special talent. We can't compare the current crop with him. And Lee-Hesh in doubles was how great doubles combinations should play. And they had some strong rivals in the Aussies, Swedes and so on. Again can't compare their doubles with the current lot.

[Rajiv]

Lee was a special talent. We can't compare the current crop with him.

Bhai Sab.. I was only conveying my personal views on how dbls is insignificant and less important in my opinion, nothing even remotely connected to comparing Leander with current crop with which you are confusing yourself.

[Atithee]

At least, we need an all Indian pairing. That’s why I’m somewhat excited about Yuki and Ramkumar playing together.