German mesmerises Majmudar

OCTOBER 22: The mechanical engineer just could not figure this one out. Kunj Majmudar, taking every one for a ride since coming in as a l...

OCTOBER 22: The mechanical engineer just could not figure this one out. Kunj Majmudar, taking every one for a ride since coming in as a lucky loser, finally ran out of inspiration in the 6250 ITF Satellite Tennis Circuit first leg semi-finals today.

No 3 seed Radim Zitko Czech, based near Prague and based firmly to the back line here, out-slugged Majmudar in an hour and 10 minutes 6-4, 6-3 at the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association8217;s G A Ranade Tennis Centre.Another of those with divine backing, qualifier Thomas Messmer Germany proved how inadequate seedings and rankings are at this level when he had No 5 seed Tom Chicoine US sent out 6-2, 6-4 in one hour.

Joy for India, as is often the case in recent times, came in doubles when Vishaal Uppal and Mustafa Ghouse joined Syed Fazaluddin and Niko Karagiannis Greece in the final. The former accounted for Thomas Messmer and Balazs Veress 6-3, 7-5 while the latter got a walkover.

Zitko saved two break points in the seventh game of the secondset, denying Majmudar his last chance of a comeback after both had traded service breaks. By which time, the New York-based Indian had already found his repertoire of winners diminishing, unlike in the first set when both players had equal marks.

Majmudar got an early breakthrough and the start, 2-0 up, was the kind of launch pad on which victories are built. But, Zitko, a non-believer, earned his fruit of labour in the sixth game, setting up break with a stolid forehand drive, which, with a different racquet, could have been a ping pong shot.

The crucial break came in the last game, with Majmudar slamming a forehand out and then hitting a double fault, which will be a prominent part of his postmortem.

History repeated itself as the engineer served another double fault at break point in the sixth game of the second set to send the Czech up a break which the 21-year-old Zitko guarded with frenzy.

Final line-up: Zitko vs Messmer.

Results seedings in prefix; country, ranking inparenthesis

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Men8217;s singles semi-finals: 3-Radim Zitko Cze, 464 bt Kunj Majmudar US 6-4, 6-3; Thomas Messmer Ger, 949 bt 5-Tom Chicoine US, 500 6-2, 6-4.

Doubles semis: Syed Fazaluddin/Niko Karagiannis w/o Tom Chicoine/Kunj Majmudar; Mustafa Ghouse/Vishaal Uppal bt Thomas Messmer/Balazs Veress 6-3, 7-5.

Bhupathi to undergo fitness test today

Mahesh Bhupathi is to undergo a fitness test at the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association courts here tomorrow.

Revealing this, Dr Hima Dalal said Bhupathi, who is being treated for rotator cuff and groin injuries, will test his painful abdomen also tomorrow.The doubles star is being treated by Dr Dalal and Dr Aijaz Ashai since Monday and according to Dr Dalal, has responded well to the shoulder treatment. 8220;He has less trouble while serving now,8221; she said.