Unseeded R. Ramkumar defeated sixth-seeded Josh Goodall of Britain 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in the final of the $10,000 ITF men’s Futures tennis tournament in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Saturday. This is the 19-year-old’s second successive ITF triumph after the one in Raipur last week.
Ramkumar — supported by the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA) for the past four years — is currently World No. 678, and this title will fetch him 18 ATP points, that will help him break into the top-500.
“It feels nice to have had another great week,” said Ramkumar. “I knew it was not going to be easy. He was strong, and served big. He also had great ground strokes and passing shots. I told myself that it was one more match and I would try my best.
“I had played him in the doubles earlier, and we had won in the match tie-break, and it helped a bit. I was happy with the good start in the final. In the second set, he got into his groove, and I missed a bit. In the third set, I broke him in the third game and held on. I was pleased with the way I served. I mixed it up with serve and volley also.”
He will compete in another week-long ITF tournament in Cambodia before returning to India.
