JOIN USYuki Bhambri emerged winner in the contest between the country’s top two tennis players as he brushed aside the challenge of Somdev Devvarman 6-2, 6-4 to breeze into the final of the ATP Challenger event here on Friday.
Yuki also made the doubles final with New Zealand partner Michael Venus trouncing Ruben Gonzales and Artem Sitak 6-2, 6-1. In his singles match, seventh seed Yuki did not face a breakpoint in the first set and capitalised on two of the five he earned on Somdev’s serve to surge ahead and take the first set. An intense battle followed in the second set and both the players struggled to hold serve. Yuki lost his thrice but managed to break Somdev four times to close the contest in his favour.
Yuki will now fight it out with unseeded Russian Alexander Kudryavtsev, who shocked second seed and compatriot Evgeny Donskoy 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 in the other semifinal.
In the doubles, the second seeded Indo-Kiwi pair will face India’s N Sriram Balaji and Blaz Rola, who defeated Ti Chen and Marek Semjan 6-3, 7-6 (7-5).