ITF Dharwad: Ramkumar Ramanathan, Digvijay Pratap to clash in all-Indian final

Prajwal Dev and Nitin Kumar Sinha grabbed the doubles title.

With all four top seeds reaching the semifinals of the ITF Dharwad Men's World Tennis Tour, it was only natural to expect some high-quality tennis action. All the semifinalists lived up to the hype, showcasing an incredible display of skill and determination on both sides of the net.

In thrilling semifinal encounters of the US $25,000 prize money event, the fourth seed, Ramkumar Ramanathan of India, produced a remarkable comeback to defeat the top seed, Nick Chappell of the United States, with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2). Meanwhile, the countrymate and third seed, Digvijay Pratap Singh, dropped a set but rallied to win against the second seed, Bobrov Bogdan, with a score of 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-4.

In the doubles event, the third-seeded pair of SD Prajwal Dev and Nitin Kumar Sinha took home the honors. In an almost one-sided final, Prajwal and Nitin ended the dream run of the unseeded team of Sai Karteek Ganta and Manish Sureshkumar with a 6-4, 6-3 victory. The winners were awarded US $1,500, while the runners-up received US $900.

The crowd at the Dharwad District Lawn Tennis Association was treated to a thrilling contest as the 28-year-old Ramkumar faced Chappell in the first semifinal. The first set saw the top seed, Nick Chappell, assert his dominance, racing to a 4-1 lead with a break in the third game before wrapping up the set at 6-3.

"Chappell's powerful serves and relentless baseline play had the Indian Davis Cupper on the back foot. However, in the second set, Ramanathan fought back with vengeance, accompanied by loud grunts and the support of the crowd. A break in the fourth game was enough for Ramkumar to secure the second set 6-3.

The most heart-pounding moments came in the third set when Ramkumar found himself down 2-5. However, summoning his inner strength and resilience, the silver medalist at the recent Asian Games mounted an extraordinary comeback and took the deciding set into a tie-break, which he won easily at 7-2. The moment his opponent's ball went wide, he turned to the crowd and acknowledged their support.

In the other semifinal, Digvijay, after wrapping up the first set 6-4 with a break in the very first game, was serving for the match at 5-4, 30-0 up. With two unforced errors by Digvijay and some good slices by Bogdan, the set headed for a tie-break, which the visitor won 7-2. The final set saw a late fightback by Bogdan, but the damage had already been done.

Results

Singles Semifinals

• 4-Ramkumar Ramanathan bt 1-Nick Chappell (USA) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2)
• 3-Digvijay Pratap Singh bt 2-Bogdan Bobrov 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-4

Doubles Final

• 3-SD Prajwal Dev/Nitin Kumar Sinha bt Sai Karteek Reddy Ganta/Manish Sureshkumar 6-4, 6-3

Sunday's Fixture

Singles Final

• 4-Ramkumar Ramanathan Vs. 3-Digvijay Pratap Singh at 10 a.m.