US Open 2023, August 22- Sep 10, 2023

[sameerph]

It begins on Tuesday with qualifying. We have only Sumit in mens qualies and Ankita and Karman in womens qualies.

Doubles entry list just came out. And Yuki and Saketh have entered with different partners. Yuki has entered along with Marcelo Demoliner and they are in main draw, Saketh has entered with Aslan Karatsev and they are first alternates. Rohan and Ebden will be seeds.

In juniors, Yuvan Nandal is in main draw, Aryan Shah and Manas Dhamne are in qualies as of now.

[Omkara]

Better participation. All the best Yuki and Saki on their career with different partners.

[Dinesh]

Tough draw for our players in singles, outside of Ankita’s match.

Sumit plays 4th seed Taro Daniel.
Ankita plays Miriam Bulgaru (beatable).
Karman plays 18th seed Oceane Dodin.

I’d bet on Karman creating an upset, however.

[sameerph]

Adding the rankings-

[Q1] Sumit Nagal (IND,190) vs. (4) Taro Daniel (JPN,95)

[Q1] Ankita Raina (IND,182) vs. Miriam Bulgaru (BEL,214)
[Q1] Karman Kaur Thandi (IND,211) vs. (18) Oceane Dodin (FRA,118)

Taro Daniel has done pretty well of late on ATP tour. So do not see much of a chance for Sumit here in his first match on hard courts in months.

Ocane Dodin has lost some matches to much lower ranked players of late. So, if Karman is at the top of her game she has a chance. Ankita- Bulgaru I expect to be a close match with better player on the day winning.

[sameerph]

Sumit down 36 03.

[sameerph]

Sumit came back and fought really well in second set to get back to 5-5, had a bp at 5-5, 40-30 only for Taro to hold and then got broken himself in next game.

[Q1] Sumit Nagal (IND,190) l. (4) Taro Daniel (JPN,95) 36 57

[jayakris]

I am kinda mad. Serves Sumit right, for not doing his part by getting on to hard courts for at least one event before this. Bad karma.

[Dinesh]

^^ Even if he did, he was not going to defeat a player like Taro Daniel on this surface.

[Dinesh]

KKT from 6-3 5-3 to 6-3 5-7. Please win the next set!!

[Dinesh]

KKT loses 6-3 5-7 3-6

[Sanjay]

KKT from 6-3 5-3 to 6-3 5-7. Please win the next set!!

wtf

[Dinesh]

As per usual, it’s upon Ankita (the wall of India?!) to keep our flag flying. Wins the first set 6-3. Come on!!!

[vparam]

Wow, tough loss for KKT. Serving for the match at 5-3 and couldn’t get it done. Well, at least she pocketed $21k for her efforts.

[Dinesh]

Ankita let her 5-3 lead slip and I stopped watching, but just saw that she won 7-5.

6-3 7-5 let’s go!!!

[jayakris]

You made good calls, Dinesh! I am losing hope on Karman ever getting her mind well enough in order, or her game smart enough. She has all the tools but cannot put it all together to move up from around 200. People make adjustments on her more easily than should happen at this point in her career. Maybe she will move up closer to 100 or 150 briefly at some point, but at this rate, she won't make it into the top-50 that she had the tools for (or even top-100).

It is still the old warrior Ankita that remains.