The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Yuki powers his way into the final, meets Gajjar

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Yuki powers his way into the final, meets Gajjar

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Yuki Bhambri unleashed big serves in the climax to outwit the second-seeded Vishnu Vardhan 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4) in the semifinals of the Central Bank $15,000 ITF men"s Futures tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex here on Friday.

Dropping a set for the first time in three tournaments at home, the 16-year-old Yuki brought out his best in the climax against the strongly-built Vishnu.

The latter made two successive doublefaults while leading 4-3 in the decisive tie-break.

This was a performance that once again underlined the undisputed fact that Yuki was the best talent in the country. On his 17th birthday on Saturday, Yuki will be challenged by one of the best players on view in the Indian circuit, Rohan Gajjar. The tall Mumbaikar beat the former national champion Ashutosh Singh 6-3, 7-5, his third win in as many meetings in the international circuit.

Robust game

Improving from where he had left in the last two matches that he had lost to Yuki, Vishnu played a robust game, serving big and stroking with authority and craft. However, it had to be conceded that it was Yuki who dictated the flow of the contest in the first two sets.

Yuki saved as many as five breakpoints in all in the first and fifth games and broke Vishnu at love in the second game to run away with the first set. Into the second set, it was Vishnu who saved breakpoints in the fifth and seventh games to keep his hopes alive. In the tenth game, Vishnu forced a setpoint with a backhand passingshot down the line and Yuki gave the set on a platter by netting a sitter forehand volley.

Yuki was a little less efficient with the forehand volleys this day, but served increasingly well in the decider in which he conceded only seven points in all in his six service games.

Anti-climax

In the tie-break, Vishnu smacked a backhand overhead, by leaping into the air, to take a 4-3 lead, but delivered two doublefaults to take the punch away from his challenge. It was anti-climax to a gripping contest that lasted nearly two and a half hour. Yuki seized the chance with two big serves that brought the curtains down.

Quite relieved, Yuki uncharacteristically knelt on the court to kiss the synthetic surface in expressing his joy.

There was some consolation for Vishnu Vardhan later in the day as he won the doubles title with Divij Sharan, beating the top-seeded Rohan Gajjar and Purav Raja in straight sets.

The results: Singles (semifinals): Rohan Gajjar bt Ashutosh Singh 6-3, 7-5; Yuki Bhambri bt Vishnu Vardhan 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4).

Doubles (final): Divij Sharan and Vishnu Vardhan bt Rohan Gajjar and Purav Raja 6-1, 7-5.

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