JOIN USN Sriram Balaji scored a 6-3, 6-4 win over the Netherlands’ Jeroen Benard to enter the semifinals of the ITF Davangere Open on Thursday.
In the last-four, the top-seeded Indian will take on another Dutch player Colin Von Beam who defeated Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan 6-4, 6-3. Second-seeded Sanam Singh overcame stiff resistance from Mohit Mayur before emerging a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 winner.
Sanam sped away with the first set. However, Mohit fought back in the second. He broke Sanam in the fourth game and won the set 6-4. In the decider, Sanam had an early break in the third game and closed out the match 6-4. “It was indeed a tough tie and I am glad that I won,” said Sanam.
The Chandigarh lad will clash with German Torsten Wietoska for the place in the final. Wietoska battled past India’s B M Ranjith 6-3, 6-7 (11-13), 6-4.
The match between Wietoska and Ranjith was full of action. Both disputed line calls and Wietoska was even handed a code violation in the second set. Ranjith rallied brilliantly after losing the first set and trailing 2-5 in the second. He made it five-all and won a marathon tie-breaker 13-11. However, Ranjith could not sustain the momentum and went down 4-6 in the final set.
Results (Singles quarterfinals, Indians unless mentioned): N Sriram Balaji bt Jeroen Benard 6-3, 6-4; Colin Von Beam (Ned) bt Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan 6-4, 6-3; Sanam Singh bt Mohit Mayur 6-2, 4-6, 6-4; Thorsten Wietoska (Ger) bt BM Ranjith 6-3, 6-7 (11-13), 6-4. Doubles semifinals: Vijaysundar Prashanth/ Arunprakash Rajagopalan bt Mohit Mayur/ Ramkumar Ramanathan 7-5, 6-2; Sriram Balaji/ Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan bt Ranjeet V M/ Torsten Wietoska 7-6 (7-1), 1-6, 10-7.