Bahrain Challenger Nov 22 - Nov 28 ,2021

[Rajiv]

So a big day awaits Ram, H2H they are tied 1all, being the finals expect a compitative match as both of them would be at their best.

Had a long chat this morning, on how the tournament has unrolled, and some of the matches that he played during this week, Ram was quite relaxed about the finals, after breakfast planning to hit for half hour or so and than its the finals at 5pm local time.

Good Luck Ram... Grab the title.

[Rajiv]

As mentioned above H2H they are 1 all and the defeat which Ram suffered was in 2018 at Winnetka Challenger where Karlovskiy not only beat Ram in R1, but went all the way to claim that Challenger title.

So Ram should be wary of this of his opponent who can rise to the occasion.

[sameerph]

RamK leading 2-1 in the first set in the final.

RamK had 2 breakpoints at 40-15 but missed both. Gets another breakpoint and this time he gets it to break and lead 3-1.

RamK holds at 15 to lead 4-1.

RamK breaks again for 5-1.

RamK saves a breakpoint at 30-40 and then holds after a couple of deuces to take the first set 6-1.

One more set RamK.

[Rajiv]

First blood to Ram, as he takes the opening set 61

[sameerph]

Second set

Evegeny holds after deuce
0-1 RamK holds at 30
1-1 RamK breaks at 15. Couple of sizzling returns there.
2-1 Wow, a game with 4 aces by RamK and holds at 15.
3-1 Eegeny holds at 15.
3-2 RamK holds easily.
4-2 Evegeny taken to deuce but holds
4-3 Game with 3 aces this time
5-3 Evegeny holds at 30. But, RamK has a chance to serve for the match and title now.
5-4 And he does it.

[F] (6) Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND,222) d. Evgeny Karlovskiy (RUS,302) 61 64

[Sanjay]

Dude has been nails!!!

GO RAM!

He's an ace machine today!

Close the deal!

[PKBasu]

Manama (Bahrain) Challenger

[F] Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND, 222; CH111) d. Evgeny Karlovskiy (RUS, 302; CH211) 61 64

7th game, 2nd set RamK up 4-3, easily holds for 5-3.
Karlovskiy 40-30, game, 5-4.
RamK serving for the title. 40-15 (2 MPs!!) VICTORY!

First Challenger singles title for Ramkumar Ramanathan, in his 7th Challenger final. And a thoroughly comprehensive victory this time.

[Sanjay]

ace ... ace ... yaaawwwwnnnn ace ace ace

[Sin Hombre]

Congrats Ram, monkey off the back!

[Sanjay]

Very happy, he had a great tournament. I hope our India No 1 parleys this into many wins on the ATP circuit. He is still young enough.

[vparam]

Congrats to RamK!!! His first challenger title! I just had a sense after his second round win that he would get the title. Great job RamK!

[PKBasu]

14 aces for Ramkumar today, and just 1 DF (opponent had 4 aces and 1 DF). First serve % points won: 76! And 67% of points on second serve won as well. He was a serving machine for sure today. Just a single BP conceded -- and it was saved. He converted 3 of the 6 BPs he created. Just a comprehensive victory -- 65 points to 45.

[Rajiv]

Over the years, Ram compiled a glorious record of 6 Challenger Finals and on all these occasions, the elusive victory title hung in the balance.

Yet he never gave up the challenges and came up with renewed  inspiration year after year

And today's Finals an anticipated tense match as a finals should be,  but manner in which Ram routinely dominated his opponent and  thumping 14 aces in the process to record a straight sets unforgettable first even Challenger Title

Ram is truly an archetypal Indian Tennis warrior.

[PKBasu]

Ramkumar rises to 186 in the live ATP rankings, comfortably the India #1 and back well inside the top-200. Prajnesh is a at 215, and Sumit is 218. The India #4 Mukund is at 417.

[suresh]

Congratulations RamK on a great end to the week.