Sport - Tennis

Divij goes down fighting

MUMBAI: Though Divij Sharan had David Sodek chasing down balls for two hours, 50 minutes in the MSLTA ITF Men’s Futures men’s singles pre-quarterfinals, it was not enough to dent his rival’s game.

The Czech Republic player won 7-6(7), 3-6, 6-4 to send out the last Indian challenger in the event. Vishnu Vardhan, Purav Raja and Sudanwa Sitaram were the others to make an exit.

Lucky loser Pirmin Haenle wore down Ranjeet Virali-Murugesan’s challenge in a tie lasting three hours, winning 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) for an unexpected quarterfinal meeting with Vaja Uzakov.

Fifth seed Marc Andre Startling’s exit at the unseeded Uzakov’s hands remained the day’s surprise result. Divij took Sodek to the tie-breaker, wrested the second set aided by breaks in the fourth and sixth games, then both players engaged in frenetic activity on court, before the Czech gained the upperhand.

The results: Second round: Alexander Satschko (Ger) bt Mario Eckardt (Ger) 6-0, 6-4; Daniel Lustig (Cze) bt Purav Raja (Ind) 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-4; Pirmin Haenle (Ger) bt Ranjeet Virali-Murugesan (Ind) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4); Vaja Uzakov (Uzb) bt Marc Andre Startling (Ger) 6-3, 6-7(0), 6-3; Syrym Abdukhalikov (Kaz) bt Vishnu Vardhan (Ind) 7-6(4), 6-4; David Savic (Sre) bt Liang Chi Huang (Tpe) 5-7, 6-0, 6-2; David Sodek (Cze) bt Divij Sharan (Ind) 7-6(7), 3-6, 6-4; Nathan Thompson (USA) bt Sudanwa Sitaram (Ind) 6-1, 6-1. — Special Correspondent

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