Ramkumar makes Eckental Challenger semis in season’s best show

His web sport trying much-improved, India’s Ramkumar Ramanathan stormed into the singles semifinals of the Eckental Challenger with a ruthless win over fourth seed Evgeny Donskoy, right here on Friday. The unseeded Indian trounced the Russian 6-2 6-1 in simply 57 minutes as he fired 11 aces in the course of the quarterfinal of the Euro 88520 indoor occasion.

The 35 factors that Ramkumar has assured himself by reaching the last-four will push him again to top-200. He is presently ranked 206.

It is Ramkumar’s finest efficiency of the season as reaching the Bangkok Challenger quarterfinals in January was his finest outcome earlier than right now’s win. He resumed aggressive tennis final month after a protracted coronavirus-forced break.

While his web sport fetched him a whole lot of factors, an off-colour Donskoy’s endless errors solely made it straightforward for Ramkumar.

It is Ramkumar’s first win over Donskoy, ranked 120. The final time they met in 2015 Karshi Challenger, the Indian had misplaced.

Ramkumar broke Donskoy within the fifth sport when his rival netted a return, opening up a mini lead. It turned 4-2 in Ramkumar’s favour when Donskoy’s backhand return crashed on to the online.

A backhand volley winner at 30-all on Donskoy’s serve gave Ramkumar one other breakpoint. The Russian solely helped the Indian by serving a double fault on the breakpoint.

Ramkumar got here out to serve of the set and started with a few aces. After shedding two factors on unforced errors, the Indian closed the set when Donskoy didn’t return a serve.

In the second set, Ramkumar broke Donskoy within the third sport, wining factors by charging the online. He saved a break probability within the subsequent sport, which he sealed with consecutive aces for a 3-1 lead.

Donskoy’s errors didn’t cease, serving to Ramkumar end the sport in a jiffy. PTI AT ATK ATK