ITF Futures: Sanam Singh, Vijayant Malik, Sriram Balaji enter quarterfinals

FILE PHOTO: Sanam Singh

India’s Sanam Singh prevailed over American Evan King in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(0) to enter the quarterfinals of the $15,000 Tevlin Men’s ITF F8 Futures tennis tournament being played in Toronto, Canada.

Sanam, who is seeded second in the tournament, fought hard against King before producing the crucial break of serve to pocket the opening set at 6-4.

The second set went right down to the wire as the 379th ranked Indian was forced to dig deep into his reserves.

The 25-year-old Chandigarh-born lad played the tie-break with aplomb, winning it at love to set up a quarterfinal meeting with Canada’s Brayden Schnur.

Sanam Singh had earlier breezed past Duck Hee Lee of Korea in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 in the first round.

It may be worth mentioning that Sanam had slumped forty places in the latest ATP rankings, and a good showing in the tourney should help him arrest the rapid fall in rankings.

There was more good news for Indian tennis fans as Vijayant Malik joined Sanam in the quarterfinals.

The 450th ranked Panipal-born lad accounted for American Sekou Bangoura in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.

Vijayant will now face eighth seeded Fritz Wolmarans of South Africa in the last eight stage.

He earlier showed the tournament exit door to Canadian qualifier Alexandru Pasareanu in straight sets 6-3, 6-0 in round one.

Meanwhile at the Sharm El Sheikh Egypt F24 ITF Futures tennis tournament, India’s N Sriram Balaji reached the quarterfinals after his Polish opponent Rafal Teurer gave him a walkover.

The second seeded Indian, who plunged sixty nine places in the latest ATP rankings, is coming off a semifinal finish in the Sharm El Sheikh Egypt F23 ITF Futures tennis tournament last week.

He earlier launched his campaign with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Canada’s Eric Vehovec.

At the $10,000 Tlemcen Women’s ITF Futures in Algeria, India’s Shweta Rana made it to the quarterfinals with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) over France’s Harmony Tan. The top-seeded Indian, ranked 455th in the world, had earlier received a bye in the first round.

It may be worth recalling that India’s highest ranked men’s singles player Somdev Devvarman made a stunning first round exit in the ATP Istanbul Challenger tennis tournament.

Somdev, who climbed thirteen spots to hold the101st position in the latest ATP rankings, lost to 175th ranked Russia Konstantin Kravchuk in straight sets 2-6, 3-6.