Manoj, Vinod bite MSLTA dust

MUMBAI, OCT 21: The Indian challenge ended in the ITF Satellite Tennis Circuit first-leg quarter-finals at the G A Ranade Tennis Centre t...

MUMBAI, OCT 21: The Indian challenge ended in the ITF Satellite Tennis Circuit first-leg quarter-finals at the G A Ranade Tennis Centre today, if one doesn8217;t count the New-York based Kunj Majmudar.

Manoj Mahadevan and Vinod Sridhar ran out of steam, the former bundled out even before he had warmed up while the latter managed a bit of a noise. No 3 Radim Zitko Cze slugged it out with Sridhar from the baseline for a 6-4, 6-4 decision while qualifier Thomas Messmer Ger mauled Mahadevan 6-1, 6-0 in the Maharashtra State Lawns Tennis Association MSLTA-organised event.

Majmudar probably learnt how to build bridges in Harward where he completed his mechanical engineering. He broke Matthis Kempe-Bergman8217;s Swe serve six times to construct his path to a maiden Satellite semi-final 6-2, 6-4 in 72 minutes. And extended his good fortune since he came in as a lucky loser.

Another qualifier had Mahadevan mesmerised for 41 minutes. The Indian had a high percentage of first serves in the opening set and still held only once. Needless to emphasise the second set result in which Mahadevan8217;s serve was not as consistent. The 18-year-old8217;s backhand refused to cross the net, while the German found that extra gear whenever his game sputtered. Like the occasion when Messmer dropped two match points with wide shots.

Chastened, the German pulled out a magical forehand crosscourt and then the Indian complied with an uncontrolled volley.

SRIDHAR SUCCUMBS: The first time the No 6 seed resorted to a second service was ironically the first time he dropped serve, in the seventh game. Zitko converted his third break point, after Sridhar had lost two chances to save the game.

Baseline winners were equally shared but by the time the second set neared its end, the Czech had overtaken Sridhar in count. The Indian8217;s serve was massacred, returns flowed like alcohol in a bachelor party and Sridhar swayed under the onslaught.

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There were two breaks each in the second set, but two backhand mishaps put Sridhar in the arrears. He saved one match point in the last game, but the dice was already cast.

Semi-final line-up: Majmudar vs Zitko, Chicoine vs Messmer.

Results seedings in prefix, country, ranking in parenthesis

Men8217;s singles quarter-finals: 3-Radim Zitko Cze, 464 bt 6-Vinod Sridhar Ind, 693 6-4, 6-4; 5-Tom Chicoine US, 500 bt 4-Per Thornadtsson Swe, 495 6-3, 5-7, 6-2; Thomas Messmer Ger, 949 bt Manoj Mahadevan Ind, 1300 6-1, 6-0; Kunj Majmudar US bt Matthis Kempe-Bergman Swe, 1300 6-2, 6-4

Doubles quarters: Syed Fazaluddin/Niko Karagiannis bt Doug Abraham/Lee Harang 6-4, 6-2; Mustafa Ghouse/Vishaal Uppal bt Saurav Panja/Anand Radhakrishnan 2-6, 6-2, 6-3; Thomas Messmer/Balazs Veres bt Nitin/Sandeep Kirtane 6-4, 6-1; Tom Chicoine/Kunj Majmudar bt Prahlad Srinath/Andrei Youzhny 6-4, 1-6, 6-0.