Date:28/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/28/stories/2008032855431900.htm

Sport - Tennis

Ghareeb in final four

GURGAON: Top seed Mohammad Al Ghareeb stayed on course for the title as he pipped Andrey Kumantsov of Russia in the quarterfinals of the $10,000 ITF men’s Futures tennis tournament at the NTA Complex here on Thursday.

Al Ghareeb, after a bad start, was in command at 6-7(4), 6-3, 4-1 when his opponent retired with fever and fatigue.

The 435th ranked Kuwaiti, who had scotched the hopes of Vivek Shokeen and Yuki Bhambri in the first two rounds, will be challenged by the talented 18-year-old Roman Jebavy in the semifinals.

The Czech, ranked World No. 3 in the junior section last year, got past Pakistan Davis Cupper Aqeel Khan in three sets.

Nathan Thompson, the champion of the last event in Mumbai, did not break into a sweat before his opponent, the fourth-seeded Hyun-Woo Nam of Korea, retired with a pulled thigh muscle early in the second set.

In doubles, there was some cheer for the host as unseeded Divij Sharan and Vishnu Vardhan made the final at the expense of compatriots Tushar Liberhan and Rupesh Roy.

The results: Singles (quarterfinals): Mohammad Al Ghareeb (Kuw) bt Andrey Kumantsov (Rus) 6-7(4), 6-3, 4-1 (retd.); Roman Jebavy (Cze) bt Aqeel Khan (Pak) 7-5, 1-6, 6-4; Nathan Thompson (U.S.) bt Hyun-Woo Nam (Kor) 6-1, 1-0 (retd.); Sun Peng (Chn) bt Vaja Uzakov (Uzb) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Doubles (semifinals): Hsin-Han Lee (Tpe) & Wang Yu jr. (Chn) bt Aqeel Khan (Pak) & Kamala Kannan 6-3, 3-6, 10-6; Divij Sharan & Vishnu Vardhan bt Tushar Liberhan & Rupesh Roy 7-5, 7-5. — Special Correspondent