Fourth-seeded N. Vijay Sundar Prashanth of India played to a plan to overcome compatriot Karunuday Singh 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 and enter the men’s singles final of the $10,000 LMW-ITF Futures tournament at the Perks Tennis Centre here on Friday.
Vijay started brilliantly, breaking Karunuday in the opening game. The 25-year-old Vijay attacked the net a lot more instinctively and controlled the points well to take a 3-2 lead.
Karunuday was in a similar mood. He showed quick footwork and reflexes for anything that was thrown at him and forced his opponent to gift the sixth.
Vijay replied strongly to take the seventh but followed it up with two costly mistakes in the very next game. Karunuday seized the initiative to draw level at 4-4.
Vijay broke Karunuday yet again for a 5-4 lead. He struggled a bit in the 10th. A double fault and an easy picking in the front hit wide gave Karunuday some hope. But Vijay held his nerve to wrap up the set 6-4.
After staying in the hunt for most part of the second set, Vijay caved in under pressure to lose 3-6.
But it was Vijay all over Karunuday in the third. The latter, who strained his right leg in the second set, struggled all along. The fourth seed pocketed the final set 6-2 to make the final.
Saketh retires midway
In the other semifinal, hot favourite Saketh Myneni of India started off in a similar fashion winning the first set 6-3 against S. Jeong of Korea.
But with the tummy troubling him midway through, Saketh lost momentum and the second set 4-6. In the decider, Saketh could not carry on and conceded the match much to the disappointment of the crowd. But Saketh had some consolation clinching the doubles title pairing with A.P. Rajagopalan.
The results (Indians unless stated):Semifinals: N. Vijay Sundar Prashanth bt Karunuday Singh 6-4, 3-6, 6-2; S. Jeong bt Saketh Myneni 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (conceded).
Doubles (final): Saketh Myneni & A.P. Rajagopal bt Vijay Sundar Prashanth & K.V. Sharma 6-3,6-2.
