Chennai Open ATP: Brits make a statement, every Indian ousted in opening round of men's singles
Signs of frustration were evident as Ramkumar cursed himself, saying, “He (Jay) won’t serve any easier,” as the Indian dropped points and was heard in what was an almost empty arena.
Jayantho Sengupta
Jay Clarke returns a serve during his match (Hemanathan M)
CHENNAI: Ramkumar Ramanathan had gotten the better of Britain’s Jay Clarke on two occasions they played against each other in recent times, but that wasn’t the case on Tuesday. The Brit stood his ground and sent Ramkumar packing in the round of 32 at the ongoing Chennai ATP Challenger tournament.
“I’ve seen him for many years now; I knew what to expect playing him,” Jay told DT Next, and it was on display as the Brit blanked the Indian 6-3, 7-5. Ramkumar, who is coming into the tournament after helping India defeat Togo 4-0 to return to Group 1, couldn't maintain his momentum.
It was a back-and-forth contest under the hot Chennai sun on Tuesday. Ramkumar always found a way back when trailing, but Jay didn’t allow the 30-year-old to build on it. He capitalised on every opportunity and came out on top.
For most of the match, Ramkumar tried to make the most of his ‘Serve and Volley’ strategy. He moved closer to the service box after his serves. Though the move initially paid dividends, it came back to bite him as the match progressed.
“He has a certain volume. I think it’s very tough to play how he does now, and not many people do it as they slow the ball down. He was effective, but I think I did a really good job today,” Jay said, discussing Ramkumar’s style of play.
In the second set, Jay went up 3-1, and Ramkumar brought some heavy serves to make it 3-2, but Jay countered his opponent in the following game and won the next game.
Signs of frustration were evident as Ramkumar cursed himself, saying, “He (Jay) won’t serve any easier,” as the Indian dropped points and was heard in what was an almost empty arena.
Faults from Ramkumar towards the end made life more difficult as Jay bagged the last two games, winning the second set and the match.
Karan and Mukund fail to advance
In the adjacent courts, Indians Karan Singh and Mukund Sasikumar were unable to make a mark as they failed to advance, ensuring there would be no Indian players remaining in the tournament.
21-year-old Karan Singh was defeated 6-3, 6-3 by France's Kyrian Jacquet, while Mukund Sasikumar managed to force a deciding set but eventually lost to Alexey Zakharov 6-3, 6-7, 6-1.
Later in the day, top-seed Billy Harris defeated Ukraine's Eric Vanshelboim 7-5, 6-2.