Myneni makes semi-finals

Saketh Myneni maintained his winning momentum and entered the singles semi-finals and the doubles finals of the KPIT-MSLTA ATP Challenger tennis tournament here Thursday.

Myneni scored his second consecutive win in two weeks over top seeded Aleksandr Nedovyesov of Kazakhstan winning 6-3, 6-4 in 64 minutes and also reached the doubles final with Sanam Singh, registering a 6-2, 5-7, 10-7 win over the Japanese pair of Toshide Matsui and Yasutaka Yuchiyama.

Meanwhile, Davis Cupper and seventh seeded Yuki Bhambri squandered a 4-1 lead in the second set to go down 3-6, 4-6 against fourth seeded Yuichi Sugita Japan who thus repeated his Incheon Asian Games semi-final victory.

Eighth seeded Kimmer Coppejans of Belgium, who has a Challenger title to his credit this year, scraped past Adam Pavlasek of Czech Republic 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 and will clash with sixth seeded Spaniard Adrian Menendez Macarias who upset second seeded Russian Alexander Kudryatsev 6-4, 6-1 in less than an hour.

In the doubles final, Myneni and Sanam will take on top seeds Sonchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana of Thailand who scored a 6-4, 6-4 win over Belgian Germain Gigounin and Frenchman Fabrice Martin.

Myneni sent down six aces and served a high 77 percent first serves in his match as he broke Nedovyesov in the fourth game of the first set and 10th game of the second to wrap up the match.

Myneni said: "It's great feeling to be in a second straight semi-final. I played aggressive tennis and it worked. The plan was to move up and attack.

"I mixed my game well. It's been great two weeks. I was planning to end the year after the two Challengers, but now I find myself close to Australian Open qualifiers and I have to change plans."

The results:

Singles (quarter-finals): Saketh Myneni bt 1-Aleksandr Nedovyesov (KAZ) 6-3, 6-4; 4-Yuichi Sugita (JPN) bt 7-Yuki Bhambri 6-3, 6-4; 8-Kimmer Coppejans (BEL) bt Adam Pavlasek (CZE) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; 6-Adrian Menendez-Macarias bt 2-Alexander Kudryatsev (RUS) 6-4, 6-1.

Doubles (semi-finals): 1-Sonchai / Sonchat Ratiwatana (THA) bt Germain Gigounin (BEL) / Fabrice Martin (FRA) 6-4, 6-4; Saketh Myneni / Sanam Singh bt Toshide Matsui / Yasutaka Yuchiyama (JPN) 6-2, 5-7, 10-7.