Continuing his excellent run at the ATP Indore Open, Indian youngster Ramkumar Ramanathan toppled Chinese Taipei Davis Cupper Ti Chen in a marathon contest to reach his first-ever Challenger-level semi-final in Indore.
Somdev Devvarman routed world number 59 Yen-Hsun Lu 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 to steer India to the third round of the Asia/Oceania Group I Davis Cup competition as the stunning victory gave the visitors an unassailable 3-1 lead against Chinese Taipei in Kaohsiung on Sunday. India will now play the winners of the other second round tie between Australia and Thailand in May to qualify for the World Group play-offs.
The Aussie ace, one of the title favourites at the Mumbai Open, overcame tenacious Taipei qualifier Ti Chen 6-3, 6-3 to set up a contest against Boris Pashanski of Serbia.
On a day of upsets in the ATP Challenger, the Indian ace lost to Chinese Taipei qualifier Ti Chen.
Somdev Devvarman recorded his first Davis Cup win to keep India afloat in the second round tie against Chinese Taipei as both the teams were locked 1-1 on the opening day of the Asia/Oceania Zone Group I tie in Kaohsiung (Chinese Taipei) on Friday.
India and Taiwan blanked China and Philippines 3-0 respectively in the opening group ties of the Asian Hopman Cup.
Saketh Myneni and Yuki Bhambri registered dominating straight-set victories as India completed a 5-0 rout of Chinese Taipei in the first round Asia/Oceania Group I Davis Cup tie in Indore on Sunday.
Somdev Devvarman extended his excellent run at the ATP Shanghai Challenger by reaching the singles finals with a hard-fought win over Italy's Luca Vanni.
Top seed Somdev Devvarman struggled past Ramkumar Ramanathan, who was troubled by cramps, but Yuki Bhambri made a fluent start with a straight sets victory in the US$ 50,000 ATP Challenger event, in Chennai.
Ramkumar Ramanathan proved his ascendancy in Indian tennis yet again as he knocked out Yuki Bhambri from the ATP Indore Open even as India's top player Somdev Devvarman also made an early exit, in Indore, on Thursday.
Yuki Bhambri emerged triumphant in the contest between the country's leading tennis players, brushing aside the challenge of India No 1 Somdev Devvarman in straight sets to breeze into the final of the ATP Challenger in Chennai on Friday. Ranked 71 places below his compatriot at 174, Yiki beat the top seeded 6-2, 6-4 in an hour and 41 minutes in the semi-finals of the US $50,000 hard court event.
Somdev Devvarman took just eight minutes to complete the unfinished business as he beat Ti Chen 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-2, 9-7 in the second singles to put India 2-0 ahead in the Asia/Oceania Group I Davis Cup tie in Indore on Saturday.
India tennis ace, Sania Mirza finds herself at No 6 as the new WTA doubles chart was released on Monday.
India's Davis Cup coach Zeeshan Ali on Sunday said it was good for home team players to have got the chance to test themselves in the tie against Chinese Taipei but felt that Saketh Myneni needs to develop fast as a big player if they are to win matches against tough opponents.
Yuki Bhambri recovered from cramps just in time to down Tsung Hua Yang but Somdev Devvarman's fate was hanging in balance in the marathon unfinished second singles, suspended due to fading light, as India lead 1-0 in the Asia/Oceania Group I Davis Cup tie in Indore.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
Fresh from winning the Chennai leg, Yuki Bhambri advanced to the second round, even as the other two Indians Saketh Myneni and Vishnu Vardhan made quiet exits in the $50,000 ATP Challenger at BTA Courts in Kolkata.
India's star women's doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashiwini Ponnappa also made the last eight stage, but it was curtains for the men's doubles duo of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Akshay Dewalkar.
A player cannot pull off a marathon five-setter on his own and it takes contribution from the entire team to eke out such a win, Somdev Devvarman said after winning a tough second singles match against Ti Chen.
Kidambi Srikanth and H S Prannoy sailed into the pre-quarter-finals, but it was heartbreak for Parupalli Kashyap in the men's singles at the World Badminton Championships in Jakarta on Wednesday.
'Stand-alone' trip to North American nation and a strong track record in Gujarat open doors to business.