ATP Johannesburg Challenger: Prakash Amritraj reaches doubles semifinals

India’s Prakash Amritraj reached the men’s doubles semifinals of the ATP Johannesburg Challenger tournament with American partner Rajeev Ram, beating the South African and Brazilian pair of Rik De Voest and Marcelo Demoliner in straight sets 7-5, 6-4 in a keenly-contested match.

The Indo-American duo was tested by the Rik-Marcelo pair, but effected the crucial break of serve to pull through 7-5 in the first set.

The second set saw both pairs fight tooth and nail, but the Prakash-Rajeev combo won by the skin of their teeth, 6-4.

Earlier, the Indo-American pair reached the men’s doubles quarterfinals, showing the exit door to the Brazilian pair of Thiago Alves and Augusto Laranja in straight sets 6-1, 6-3.

Prakesh and Rajeev now clash with the third seeded Croatian pair of Mate Pavic and Goran Tosic in the semifinals. Both pairs have not met each other before.

Meanwhile, the Indian campaign was also kept alive by the pair of Purav Raja and Divij Sharan, who also reached the men’s doubles semifinals.

The second seeded Indian pair got the better of the Brazilian pair of Fabiano De Paula/Thales Turini 6-3, 7-6 (3) in the quarterfinals.

Purav and Divij now play the Polish and American pair of Michal Przysiezny and Dennis Zivkovic in the semifinals.

Earlier, Prakash Amritraj crashed out in the singles first round – the 364th ranked Indian lost to Croatia’s 361st ranked Mate Pavic in three sets 7-6, 4-6, 4-6.

Two other Indians also bit the dust. 447th ranked Divij Sharan lost to Canada’s 131st ranked Vasek Pospisil 2-6, 4-6 in the first round, while Purav Raja lost to South Africa’s Jean Andersen 3-6, 4-6.

India’s highest ranked men’s singles player Somdev Devvarman bowed out in the first round of the ATP Tallahassee Challenger clay court tournament being played at the Forest Meadows Tennis Complex in Tallahassee, Florida, United States.

Somdev, who surged 21 spots in the latest ATP rankings, lost in straight sets to 20-year old American Denis Kudla 6-7(4), 4-6.

The Indian played a gripping opening set against the 142nd ranked American, but the latter had the last laugh in the tie-break.

The 184th ranked Indian kept plugging away in the second set, but the seventh-seeded Kudla served solidly and broke the former’s serve when it mattered to win the set and romp into the quarterfinals.

This was Kudla’s third win over Somdev in four head-to-head meetings.