Vishnu Vardhan asserted his growing stature with a breathtaking 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(13) victory over Kim Young-Jun of Korea in the final of the $10,000 ITF men's Futures tennis tournament at the Noida Sports Complex, Sector-21, here on Saturday.
In front of an appreciative crowd that was treated to high quality fare for two hours and 38 minutes in pleasant evening conditions, third-seeded Vardhan proved better as he saved three match points and converted his ninth match point for a memorable triumph.
It was the second successive title for the 23-year-old Hyderabad lad following his triumph last week in Chandigarh. He has won three titles from eight finals so far, and one of those losses in the final was to Kim himself in 2009. The two had enjoyed a 1-1 win-loss record earlier. The talented Korean, with 12 titles to his credit at this level, had won the Futures title last week in Thailand. In fact, he had not dropped a set in two weeks till he met his match in Vardhan.
Vardhan did miss a match point with a double fault, but was playing so well that he did not allow it to trouble his mind. He conceded that he succeeded in living in the present and had the confidence to clinch the issue, despite the missed chances. The Korean buried a forehand into the net on Vardhan's ninth match point, to bring the curtains down on the extended entertainment.
Vardhan was sprawled on the turf after the win, before his opponent walked across the net to hug and express his hearty congratulation.
Vardhan also expressed his thanks to teammate Somdev Devvarman for the three-week training in Texas that had made him stronger this season.
