India’s singles challenge fizzles out at Tata Open Maharashtra

One round, two days, four players, no wins. That’s the story of India's singles challenge at the 2023 ATP Tata Open Maharashtra. And the overall gloom around men’s singles tennis in the country at present doesn’t show any sign of lifting soon.

Ramkumar Ramanathan and Sasikumar Mukund on Tuesday joined Sumit Nagal and Manas Dhamne, losing in the first round of India's lone ATP 250 event in Pune. Among them, only Ramkumar came through winning two qualifiers while the others were handed wildcards. None could pounce on the opportunity and make a leap like wildcard Karman Kaur Thandi did at last year's WTA Chennai Open, beating a much higher-ranked player in the first round for a considerable push in her ranking.

The four men, though, did have their moments on the Balewadi hard courts. If Dhamne, 15, got an early taste of things to come in his career, Mukund, India’s singles No 1 (ranked 340), was off the blocks in both sets before being pulled back by promising young Italian Flavio Cobolli (171) 6-4, 7-5. If Nagal stretched 54th-ranked Filip Krajinovic in a three-setter, so did Ramkumar in his 6-3, 5-7, 3-6 defeat to world No 62 Spaniard Pedro Martinez.

Those fighting losses should especially pinch Ramkumar and Nagal a bit more, both coming off a disappointing 2022 season in singles due to indifferent form and injury that resulted in their rankings skydiving. A win here would have provided just the kind of impetus they seek. As for Mukund, in just his second ATP Tour main draw appearance, the gulf between notching up results on the ITF/Challenger and the ATP tour was apparent.

“It’s just lack of experience at this level for me. I mean, it’s not an excuse, it’s just plain facts. Those guys (Nagal and Ramkumar) know what this is about much more than me," the 25-year-old Mukund said.

It was evident with Ramkumar, his big first strike and the serve-and-volley game making it difficult for Martinez to crack in the opening set. The 435th-ranked Indian had chances to earn a crucial break in the fifth game of the second set but in failing to do so, allowed the 2022 ATP Santiago winner to stage a comeback.

Mukund was also guilty of squandering the advantage. In both sets the Indian got the early break before letting Cobolli, the 20-year-old former junior world No 8, right back in it with error-filled play from the baseline to go with a few cracking winners. Like when he sent back two quality return winners but an equal number of poor ones to help the Italian get out of a hole and hold serve from 0-40 late in the first set.

In a doubles first-round match, India’s world No 19 Rohan Bopanna and Dutch partner Botic van de Zandschulp lost to Ramkumar and Mexican Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela 6-7(5), 7-6(4), 9-11. Bopanna and Ramkumar had paired up in Pune last year, going all the way to win the title.

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