Date:21/01/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/01/21/stories/2005012104612000.htm

Sport - Tennis

Sunil knocks out Sherwood

By Kamesh Srinivasan

NEW DELHI, JAN. 20. Sunil Kumar regained his confident touch as he knocked out the top-seeded David Sherwood of Britain 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the $15,000 ITF Futures tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex here on Thursday.

On a windy day the other Indian, Ajay Ramaswamy was unable to hang on to an early break against the strong game of Simon Greul of Germany.

It was expected that Sherwood would struggle to keep the light balls in play and it was the case as the Britain tried his hand at touch and timing. In contrast, the left-handed Sunil, quite at home, was able to play with his usual flourish on either flank and came up with a few sparkling shots in subduing the Briton.

Sunil capitalised on the break in the fourth game to wrap up the first set, and broke the Briton in the first game of the second set, with a backhand passing shot on the second breakpoint, that proved decisive.

Sunil will be challenged by Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan, who had accounted for Harsh Mankad. The second-seeded Simon Greul was too good a player to be tested well by Ajay Ramaswami.

To his credit, the 24-year-old Ajay played well to take a 4-3 lead, though the break in the seventh game was mainly because the German made two doublefaults. However, Ajay was broken immediately thereafter and the German wound up the first set by breaking Ajay at love in the 12th game. Thereafter, the German was in a cruise mode.

Simon Greul will meet Lester Cook of the US in the semifinals.

In the doubles, Ashutosh Singh continued his fine run in the company of Dekel Valtzer of Israel to make the final where he will meet compatriots, the top-seeded Harsh Mankad and Ajay Ramaswami.

The results: Singles (quarterfinals): Sunil Kumar bt David Sherwood (GBR) 6-3, 6-4; Denis Istomin (Uzb) bt Murad Inoyatov (Uzb) 6-2, 6-4; Lester Cook (US) bt Dekel Valtzer (Isr) 7-6 (3), 6-1; Simon Greul (Ger) bt Ajay Ramaswami 7-5, 6-1.

Doubles (quarterfinals): Harsh Mankad and Ajay Ramaswami bt Vivek Shokeen and Divij Sharan 6-4, 7-6 (7-2); Dekel Valter (Isr) and Ashutosh Singh bt Denis Istomin and Murad Inoyatov (Uzb) 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2).