FOCUSED: Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan came back strongly after losing the first set to clinch the title at Madurai on Saturday. Photo: S. James / The Hindu
Fourth-seeded Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan of India scored a hard fought 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) win over second seed Marc Giner of Spain and clinched the title in the TVS $10,000 ITF men’s Futures tennis tournament at the Madurai Union Club here on Saturday.
The first set went on serve till 3-3. The Spaniard started hitting some powerful winners from the baseline and went up 40-0 on Jeevan’s serve in the seventh game. The Indian saved three break points before Giner won the next two to go 4-3 up.
Missed opportunity
Jeevan had a chance to break back in the 10th game, when Giner was serving 5-4, 30-40. But the second seed staved off the break point with a big serve and followed it up with a couple of forehand winners to take the set 6-4.
Jeevan came back strongly in the second set and broke his opponent in the fourth and sixth games and closed out the set at 6-1. Both the players used their big serves to good effect in the third set.
With no break of serves till the 12th game, the decider moved to the tiebreaker, which the Indian won 7-4.
Jeevan won a cash award of $1300 and 18 ATP points, while the runner-up received $900 and 10 points.
Meanwhile in the doubles final, N. Sriram Balaji and P.C. Vignesh of India defeated Andre Gaspar Murta of Portugal and Matthieu Vierin of Italy 7-6(4), 7-6(5).
Madurai Kamaraj University Vice-Chancellor Kalyani Mathivanan gave away the prizes.
The results (Indians unless mentioned):
Singles: Final: Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan bt Marc Giner (ESP) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4).Semifinals: Jeevan bt Vijayant Malik 6-2, 6-3; Giner bt Yannick Vandenbulcke (Bel) 7-6(3), 6-3
Doubles: Final: N. Sriram Balaji & P.C. Vignesh bt Andre Gaspar Murta (Por) & Matthieu Vierin (Ita) 7-6(4), 7-6(5). Semifinals: Sriram & Vignesh bt Rupesh Roy & Vivek Shokeen 6-4, 6-3; Murta & Vierin bt Elwin Antony & Mohammed Fariz 7-5, 6-3.
source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> Sports> Tennis / by Principal Correspondent / Madurai, April 29th, 2012