The Hindu : Ratiwatana quells Ghouse's challenge

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 23, 2002

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Ratiwatana quells Ghouse's challenge

By Kamesh Srinivasan

NEW DELHI AUG. 22. It is tough to play normal tennis after a hard fought win. The second-seeded Mustafa Ghouse was unable to play his best as he went down in straight sets to the 1,015th ranked Sonchat Ratiwatana of Thailand in the quarterfinals of the $10,000 ITF Futures tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex here on Thursday.

After beating Davis Cupper Harsh Mankad, Mustafa was on a high but perhaps lacked the energy to match the athleticism of the Thai. However, three other Indians, the top-seeded Rohan Bopanna, fourth-seeded Vijay Kannan and Sunil Kumar made the semifinals to keep the national hopes alive.

The Thai sensed his chances as early as the seventh game of the first set when he broke Mustafa after the latter had saved a breakpoint. The 540th ranked Indian had his chances, but missed four breakpoints in all in the eighth and tenth games.

In the second set, games went on serve after an initial exchange of breaks, as both the players demonstrated their skill, stamina and athletic ability.

Yet, in the tie-break, Mustafa lost ground as he slipped to 1-5. He saved a matchpoint with an ace, but netted a backhand return in bringing the curtains down on his challenge. It was the Thai's better passing shots as much as his intensity of focus that won him the day, with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) scoreline.

Ratiwatana would have his hands full when he takes on the talented left-hander, Sunil Kumar. Sunil was once again in a spot of bother when he was down 0-3 to start with, but he struck his rhythm after a bout of tantrums when he flung his racquet around in disgust at his own inability to make the shots.

Once he strikes his form, Sunil Kumar is a delight to watch, and he blew away the challenge from the South African, Ciaran Moore, winning 11 of the last 13 games. It was the South African's turn to throw the racquet in disgust now, but to no avail.

``I could play better once I started moving better. I am playing well and confident'', said Sunil Kumar, who has added muscle to his game and confidence.

Meanwhile, the top-seeded Rohan Bopanna was on song as he fired 12 aces in dismissing the seventh-seeded Eliran Dooyev of Israel 6-2, 6-1. The Israeli was plagued by a painful back, and could not produce his best.

Bopanna will have a different type of challenge when he takes on Vijay Kannan, who got past Stephen Nugent of Ireland 6-4, 6-0.

Vijay and Bopanna have a 1-1 record, with Vijay having beaten Bopanna in the national hardcourt final the last time the two met at the same venue here last year. Bopanna had beaten Vijay in the grasscourt national earlier.

It was a lot closer in the first set, when Vijay saved three breakpoints in the ninth game, and converted the third set point in the tenth to gain the initiative.

Bopanna had looked vulnerable against junior Rohan Gajjar. But the match has also added to his resolve of playing at his best, as was evident from the way he handled the challenge this day.

It should be a lively contest in the semifinals on the morrow, and the pleasant weather has been an added advantage for the players for the past two days to be at their physical best, and produce a quality fare.

The `live' coverage by Doordarshan may also add to improving the quality of play.

In the doubles section, Rohan Gajjar and Jaco Mathew made their maiden final, defeating the second-seeded Ratiwatana brothers, Sanchai and Sonchat 6-2, 6-3.

Harsh Mankad and Ajay Ramaswamy continued with their fine run, as they recorded a hard-fought victory in the third set tie-break against the third-seeded Mustafa Ghouse and Sunil Kumar.

The results:

Singles (quarterfinals): Rohan Bopanna bt Eliran Dooyev (Isr) 6-2, 6-1; Vijay Kannan bt Stephen Nugent (Irl) 6-4, 6-0; Sunil Kumar bt Ciaran Moore (RSA) 6-4, 6-2; Sonchat Ratiwatana (Tha) bt Mustafa Ghouse 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).

Doubles (semifinals): Harsh Mankad & Ajay Ramaswamy bt Mustafa Ghouse & Sunil Kumar 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5); Rohan Gajjar & Jaco T. Mathew bt Sanchai Ratiwatana & Sonchat Ratiwatana (Tha) 6-2, 6-3.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport