Bengaluru Open: Myneni/Ramkumar clinches doubles title after Nagal crashes out

Bengaluru, Feb 17 (IANS) A few hours after the country's top singles player was ousted from the event, India’s Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan comfortably clinched the doubles title to bring some cheer to the fans in the Bengaluru Open ATP Challenger Series tennis event at the KSLTA Tennis Stadium here on Saturday. 

Myneni and Ramkumar defeated the French combination of Constantin Kouzmine and Maxime Janvier 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 18 minutes to clinch the doubles title.

Earlier, Nagal tried his best against the Italian Stephano Napolitano before going down 7-6(2), 6-4 in the singles semifinal.

The 26-year-old started strong as he opened up a 4-1 lead in the opening set before Napolitano began his fightback. The Italian saved a couple of break points with his big serves in the sixth game and then immediately broke the Indian served to put the pressure back on the home favourite. Napolitano again broke Nagal in the ninth game to take the lead for the first time but the second-seeded Indian responded with a break immediately in the next game as the set went into a tiebreak.

It was the Italian who prevailed in the tiebreak as Nagal lost a set for the first time in nine matches this season. The second set was an equally intense affair with Nagal drawing first blood when he broke Napolitano’s serve in the fifth game. The Italian, however, restored parity in the very next game to make it 3-3.

With the momentum in Napolitano’s favour, Nagal's serve was again under pressure in the eighth game, but he managed to save a couple of break points to stay in the match. However, Napolitano managed to find a way past Nagal’s serves two games later to put an end to India’s hopes in the singles category. The Italian will now face South Korea’s Seongchan Hong, who got the better of Spain’s Oriol Roca Batalla 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the other semi-final.

Earlier, 2017 Bengaluru Open champion Nagal, who broke into the top-100 ATP ranking last week, was honoured before the semi-final clash by KSLTA Sr Vice President Priyank M Kharge in the presence of KSLTA Secretary Maheshwar Rao, IAS, and Tournament Director Sunil Yajaman. He was also given a cheque of Rs 5 lakh in recognition of his outstanding performance.

Bengaluru Open is being organised by the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) and the final of the event will be concluded on February 19.

Results:

Singles: 9-Seongchan Hong (Kor) beat 8-Oriol Roca Batalla (Esp) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; 7-Stephano Napolitano (Ita) beat 2-Sumit Nagal 7-6(2), 6-4

Doubles final: Saketh Myneni/Ramkumar Ramanathan (Ind) beat Constantin Kouzmine/Maxime Janvier (Fra) 6-3, 6-4.

--IANS

bsk/