Fazalludin advances

MUMBAI, DEC 29: Mahesh Bhupathi had it easy while Syed Fazalludin did not. But both advanced to the second round of the 50,000 ATP Chal...

MUMBAI, DEC 29: Mahesh Bhupathi had it easy while Syed Fazalludin did not. But both advanced to the second round of the 50,000 ATP Challenger organised by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association at the GA Ranade Tennis Centre today.

Bhupathi dropped three match points but walked through with plenty to spare against sixth seed Eyal Ryan 6-4, 6-4 in an hour and 15 minutes.

Fazalludin was leading 6-3, 5-7, 2-1 when his opponent and quot;very good friendquot; Prahlad Srinath had to withdraw due to a painful Achilles tendon. The match was particularly difficult for Fazalludin as he was aware of his opponent8217;s injury and quot;knew what he had to do to win the matchquot;. But he did not exactly do that, dropping the second set after winning the first.

Srinath took a three-minute medical break at 4-3 up in the second set. The break seemed to have worked for him as he broke serve in the 12th game to level scores.

But the magic spray did not work too long and he was forced to pull out.

Earlier, Japan8217;s Kentaro Masudaaffected a clinical 6-0, 6-3 55-minute finishing of second seed Razwan Sabau of Romania. With the Romanian8217;s exit, the top two seeds are out of the tournament on the second day itself, top seed David Caldwell having been eliminated yesterday.

BHUPATHI BLAST: Bhupathi served four aces, all of them at crucial moments of the match, to notch his third win against the man from Israel. Up 5-4 by a fifth-game break, Bhupathi went down 0-40 and three break points. Then he decided to change things a bit.

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His effort included a backhand pass, followed by a serve and volley set piece, and an overhead smash. Ace, ace. Set. Ryan recovered quickly to go up 3-0. But Bhupathi brought things on level terms 8212; one break each 8212; in the fifth.

Up 5-4, Bhupathi had two match points, two chances to break serve. Though Ryan saved those, and another in the next game with a backhand pass, Bhupathi was not to be denied. Strong serve and smash. Game, set and match.

RESULTS

Men8217;s singles: Syed Fazalludin India,563 bt Prahlad Srinath India, 390 6-3, 5-7, 2-1 conceded; Kentaro Masuda Japan, 353 bt Razwan Sabau Romania, 193 6-0, 6-3; Mashiska Washington USA, qualifier bt Ivan Ljubicic Croatia, 293 6-2, 7-5; Ofer Sela Israel, 284 bt Miles MacLagan GBR, 303 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 7-5; Julian Boutter France, 279 bt Oleg Ogorodov Uzbek, 214 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 8-6; Anthony Dupuis France, 206 bt Olivier Malcor France, 247 6-1, 1-0 conceded; Sebastien Dechaunac France, qualifier bt Naom Behr Israel, 244 6-1, 6-4; Mahesh Bhupathi India bt Eyal Ryan Israel, 229 6-4, 6-4.

Doubles 1st round: Kentaro Masuda/Oren Motevassel bt Harsh Mankad/Mustafa Ghouse 6-3, 6-3; Lior Mor/Ofer Sela bt Gregory Carraz/R Lavergne 7-6 7-4, 6-4; Nitin/Sandeep Kirtane bt Naom Okun/Nir Welgreen 7-6 7-2, 4-6, 6-4.