US Challengers 2021

[Ullhas]

If we look closer, the situation is even worse. In singles, there are only 2 semifinal appearances (Prajnesh's in Feb). So past 5 months we haven't even reached semis stage. Of course if both players win today, the jinx will be broken.

[sameerph]

Nice and easy win for Prajnesh over current NCAA champion.

[R2] (2) Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND,156) d. (WC) Sam Riffice (USA,779) 62 64

[arjun2761]

Watching Ramk after a long time. I can't believe how poor his backcourt game is. Mostly, he chips or hits soft top spins which land in the middle of the court. His serve and volley is excellent, the rest of his game belongs in the futures level.

Right now, Ramk and Galarneau are tied 3-3 in the final set in a bad tempered match with RamK grunting with max effort but Galarneau is clearly the better player from the backcourt....

OK, he came back from a break down to win the final set 6-4 and make the QFs. May the better man win between him and Prajnesh!

[suresh]

One would have thought that RamK's back court game would be decent given that the trained in Spain when he was young. This issue is partly on his coaches from that era.

[arjun2761]

One would have thought that RamK's back court game would be decent given that the trained in Spain when he was young. This issue is partly on his coaches from that era.

Personally, I think it is mostly on him. In the game that he broke back, he hit some good relatively flat top spins, so he has the ability to do it. The fact that he does not do it most of the time is likely mental, i.e., he lacks confidence in it. Confidence is something that comes from rigorous and focused practice, so perhaps his practice habits is where I would look first to see why he plays the way he plays....

[usaindia]

[R2] (8) Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND,227) d. Alexis Galarneau (CA,440), 76(4) 46 64

[PKBasu]

Wonderful that there will be an all-India quarterfinal at the Cary Challenger I. Sad, in a way, because one of them will be out -- although we are assured of one Indian semifinalist. In this field, both could have gone all the way to the final.

[Sin Hombre]

Right now, Ramk and Galarneau are tied 3-3 in the final set in a bad tempered match with RamK grunting with max effort but Galarneau is clearly the better player from the backcourt....

Sounds like most close matches involving RamK

[PKBasu]

20 year old NRI Govind Nanda (USA, 594) in his first or second tournament since turning pro, is in the QF (where he plays Christian Harrison). He is in the other half of the draw from Prajnesh and Ramkumar, so could only play one of them in the final. The Argentine who beat Mukund won 76 60 in the second round and is also through to the QF.
Ramkumar/Lacko are in the doubles SF (where they meet the top seeds) after a couple of walkovers.

[jaydeep]

Good confident win by Prajnesh ... Ram struggled but hoping better performance in the quarters.

[PKBasu]

Nice and easy win for Prajnesh over current NCAA champion.

[R2] (2) Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND,156) d. (WC) Sam Riffice (USA,779) 62 64

So Prajnesh has already scalped the 2017 (Kwiatkowski) and 2021 (Riffice) NCAA men's singles champions here!
Those are really good wins. NCAA champions usually go on to have decent pro careers -- some quite brilliant ones. Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Stan Smith, Arthur Ashe are among former NCAA men's singles champions.

[Sanjay]

Whom to support??? I like them both!!!

[PKBasu]

[QF] 2-Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND, 156) vs. 8-Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND, 227) 63 67(5)

Early break for Prajnesh in set 2. 2-0. Ramkumar holds comfortably at 15. 2-1 (PG ahead).
Ramkumar breaks back at 15. 2-2
Ramk 0-15, 40-15, 40-30, Deuce. Ad-in, Game Ram. 2-3
PG 15-15, 30-15, 40-15, Game. 3-3
RamK 30-15, 30-all, 30-40, Deuce, Ad-in, Deuce, Ad-in, Game Ram. 3-4
Praj holds. 4-4. RamK 40-30, Deuce, Ad-in, Game. 4-5
PG 30-0. 30-15, 40-15, Game. 5-5
RamK 15-30, 30-all, 40-30, Deuce, Ad-in, Game Ram. 5-6
PG 40-15, Game. 6-6
Tiebreak: RamK serves first. (still using PG's point first). 0-1, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 3-3 (zero minibreaks), 4-3, 4-4, 4-5, 5-5, 5-6 (minibreak for Ram, set point), 5-7. RamK wins the second set 76(5). The tiebreak king!
Goodnight folks, its past 2am in India. I hope someone else takes it up from here.

[Prem]

RR wins after losing the first set.
[QF] (8) Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND, 227) d. (2) Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND, 156), 36 76(5) 64

Saw the third set and he fought off few break points with good serve and volley.
in the semis. Faces the winner of Eubanks or Kozlov.

[jayakris]

Man, a real barn-burner... as expected. Both have had trouble closing out matches lately, so one of them had to win and it was going to be a 3-setter. Thanks PKB and Prem for the updates. I had to be away in meetings and couldn't see it