The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Yuki Bhambri in last eight

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Yuki Bhambri in last eight

Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH: Yuki Bhambri underlined his potential yet again as he knocked out the second-seeded Chinese Davis Cupper Sun Peng 6-4, 6-2 in the pre-quarterfinals of the ITF men’s tennis tournament at the CLTA Complex here on Wednesday.

In a contest that spanned just over an hour, Bhambri saved three breakpoints at 0-40 while serving for the match. The wiry lad smacked a forehand winner and followed that up with two big serves, including an ace, to wriggle out of trouble.

It was quite a struggle for the 487th-ranked Peng to adjust to the slow pace and looped top-spinners from across the net. The 1679th-ranked Bhambri conceded only five points on his serve in the first set, and did not face a breakpoint in the whole tie except while serving for the match.

To meet Mankad

However, Bhambri will be tested in his first quarterfinal at this level when he takes on the seasoned Harsh Mankad, who bounced back after losing the first set to overwhelm the seventh-seeded Kento Takeuchi of Japan, dropping only one game in the next two sets.

With Vivek Shokeen showing a lot of character and fighting spirit in knocking out the fifth-seeded Chinese Davis Cupper Wang Yu jr. in a long-drawn encounter, the joy of the Delhi camp knew no bounds.

The champion of the last two weeks, Nathan Thompson, of the US retired with a strained thigh muscle, leaving Danila Arsenov of Russia the privilege of fighting Bopanna in the quarterfinals.

The results: Singles (pre-quarterfinals): Rohan Bopanna bt Perakiat Siriluethaiwattana (Tha) 6-3, 6-3; Danila Arsenov (Rus) bt Nathan Thompson (US) 4-0 (retired); Divij Sharan bt V.M. Ranjeet 6-3, 6-3; Roman Jebavy (Cze) bt Andrey Kumantsov (Rus) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4; Vivek Shokeen bt Wang Yu jr. (Chn) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; Hyun Woo Nam (Kor) w/o Ye Du (Chn); Harsh Mankad bt Kento Takeuchi (Jpn) 4-6, 6-0, 6-1; Yuki Bhambri bt Sun Peng (Chn) 6-4, 6-2.

Doubles (quarterfinals): Rohan Gajjar & Purav Raja bt John McGahon (Ire) & Ciaran Moore (RSA) 6-4, 7-6(2); Harsh Mankad & Rupesh Roy w/o Roman Jebavy (Cze) & Nathan Thompson (US); Yuki Bhambri & Kamala Kannan bt Christoph Lessiak & Mario Tupy (Aut) 6-2, 6-4.

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