JOIN USBhupathi-Knowles storm into round of eight
The fourth-seeded Indo-Bahamian pair overcame some nervous moments before edging past the Indo-Pak pair 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 6-0 in a thrilling third-round encounter which was suspended due to rain. Bhupathi and Knowles converted five of the 12 breakpoints they earned compared to Amritraj and Qureshi, who wasted two of the four that came their way in this match lasting two hours and 50 minutes. The Indo-Bahamian combine faced a tough battle from the start as their unseeded rivals were not willing to let go without a fight.
Despite winning the first set life was never easy for the fourth-seeds as Amritraj and Qureshi staged a spirited fightback in the second and drew parity. With scores level, the third set turned out to be a rollercoaster ride as both sides fought tooth and nail to take the set to tie-breaker. However, Bhupathi and Knowles used their experience to seal it 7-3 after a 55-minute battle.
In the decider, Bhupathi and Knowles did not allow much leeway to their opponents and raced away to 4-0 when rain suspended play for half an hour. However, the break had very little effect on the Indo-Bahamian pair.
Sitaram advances
India’s S Sitaram moved into the second round of the boys’ singles category. The 17-year-old pipped Karim-Mohamed Maamoun of Egypt in the first round. The Coimbatore teenager won 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.