Saketh Myneni will take on Antoine Escoffier of France in the final of the KCG Verghese-Gandhi Nagar Club ITF Futures tournament at the Club courts on Saturday.
Saketh and Escoffier took contrasting routes to the summit clash. While Saketh overcame a stiff challenge from Hyun-woo Nam of Korea 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 in two hours and 29 minutes in the semifinal, Escoffier dispatched Vijay Sundar Prashanth 6-3, 6-3 in the other last four clash.
The Saketh-Nam contest went the distance with both players fighting tooth and nail. Nam’s wonderful one-handed backhand and Saketh’s effortless volleys made the encounter lively. In a closely-fought decider, Saketh, aiming for his fourth title, broke Nam’s serve in the 12th game with a backhand lob to pocket the tie.
Escoffier, looking for his maiden crown, was ruthless against Vijay, not giving him an opportunity to settle down.
Doubles final postponed
The doubles final, scheduled for Friday, had to be postponed due to intermittent rain, and will now be held on Saturday. When rain stopped play, the Saketh-Arun Prakash Rajagopalan combine was up 1-0 against the Thai duo of Weerapat Doakmaiklee and Perakiat Siriluethaiwattana.
The results (Indians unless stated): Singles (semifinals): Saketh Myneni bt Hyun-woo Nam (Kor) 7-5, 3-6, 7-5; Antoine Escoffier (Fra) bt Vijay Sundar Prashanth 6-3, 6-3.
Keywords: ITF Futures, Saketh Myneni