Asian ATP Challengers (outside India) 2023

[jayakris]

They will make their Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open as the Asian Wildcard pair!

Wonderful! So, taking a longer break at the end of the year did not hurt them in the end, after all. It might have helped instead; they looked really jaded in events like the Korean challenger late in the last year.

[sameerph]

Yes, good that they are getting in at Australian open and missing those few extra weeks at the end of last year did not hurt them.

Btw, Sumit Nagal has got a wild card into qualifying draw in third week of Bangkok challenger. He has a tough Q1 match tomorrow though against third seed 319th ranked 19 year old Japanese Shintaro Mochizuki.

Only Aniruddh-VSP in doubles main draw this week.

[sameerph]

Damn, Sumit missed 3 matchpoints serving at 5-4, 40-0 in third set and lost the match.

At Nothanburi-3 Challenger, Thailand

[Q1] Sumit Nagal (IND,504) l. (3) Shintaro Mozichuki (JPN,319) 46 61 57

Heartbreaking to lose a match like that letting your opponent back from 3 matchpoints up but Sumit was phycically struggling in the end. Took a medical timeout at 5-6 in third set.

[Rajiv]

Ouch.. that's a bad loss, whatever the justification for the MTO and all, these are the matches against a 320 ranked player to be won and that too 40 love serving for the match.

The Indian Challengers are going to be a litmus test for the 3 of our players as far as singles is concerned, as to whether there is any glimmer of hope ,or the absence of any Indian at this year opening GS qualies is dreadfully here to stay for a very long long time.

[jayakris]

None of them are winning close matches these days

[Sanjay]

Oh Lord, another match lost after being up MATCHPOINT.

[Sanjay]

Damn, Sumit missed 3 matchpoints serving at 5-4, 40-0 in third set and lost the match.

At Nothanburi-3 Challenger, Thailand

[Q1] Sumit Nagal (IND,504) l. (3) Shintaro Mozichuki (JPN,319) 46 61 57

Heartbreaking to lose a match like that letting your opponent back from 3 matchpoints up but Sumit was phycically struggling in the end. Took a medical timeout at 5-6 in third set.

I didn't watch the match, but our players seem to struggle with fitness a lot. Maybe modern tennis demands more fitness focus than our players give?

[sameerph]

None of them are winning close matches these days

Yes, particulary Prajnesh and Sumit, they are losing a lot of close ones of late. But, this loss was worst. 5-4, 40-0, he had to just win 1 of the next 3 points but he went on to lose next 5 points and at that point I knew that he is going to lose.

[prashanthm]

And Yuki-Saki win the final after a close battle.

At Nothanburi-2 Challenger 75, Thailand

[F] (1) Yuki Bhambri (IND) /Saketh Myneni (IND) d. Christopher Rungkat (INA) / Akira Santilan (JPN) 26 76(7) 14-12

Their sixth challenger title together. Both are their career high in live rankings- Saketh at #74 and Yuki at #90. Getting closer and closer to ATP and grand slam main draws.

WOW! What a match! What a fightback!

I watched the first 5-6 games where Yuki/Saki were playing waayyyy below par and I gave up hopes.... And I was also ready to question their schedule, one last time, at the end of 2022 and leaving the AO chances up in the air.... So glad to be back to see them resolve both the things....

[sameerph]

Yes, I watched first set and they were playing badly, Yuki was getting broken again and again, his returns were not as sharp as they usually are and Saki was also not playing at all. Looks like they must have played better in second set and in match tie break to win from there. But, they will have to play even better to succeed at AO.

[prasen9]

Great that the cat got wrung again! And, Santi lan-A happened!

[sameerph]

Aniruddh and VSP are thru to SF this week.

At Nothanburi 3 Challenger, Thailand

[R1] (3) Anirudh Chandrashekhar (IND) / Vijay Sunder Prashanth (IND) d. (WC) Krittin Koaykul (THA) / Jirat Navasirisomboon (THA) 63 62

[QF] (3) Anirudh Chandrashekhar (IND) / Vijay Sunder Prashanth (IND) d. Jason Jung (TPE) / Evan King (USA) 46 76(5) 10-8

Next,

[SF] (3) Anirudh Chandrashekhar (IND) / Vijay Sunder Prashanth (IND) vs. Jan Choinski (GBR) / Stuart Parker (GBR)

[sameerph]

Aniruddh/VSP lost in SF.

At Nothanburi 3 Challenger, Thailand

[SF] (3) Anirudh Chandrashekhar (IND) / Vijay Sunder Prashanth (IND) l. Jan Choinski (GBR) / Stuart Parker (GBR) 57 36