Nagal, Ramanathan enter next round

Pune, Feb 20: Top seeded Sumit Nagal and wildcard Ramkumar Ramanathan on Tuesday entered the pre-quarterfinals of the ATP Challenger 100 international tournament after winning their respective round of 32 matches here on Tuesday.
Nagal defeated Chinese Taipei’s Yu Hsiou Hsu 7(6)-6, 6-4 at the centre court at the Mhalunge Balewadi Tennis Stadium.
Nagal, who won the ATP Challenger in Chennai and reached the semifinals in Bengaluru, came back from a break down in the second set to record his win in two hours and five minutes.
On the other hand, in a thrilling contest which lasted one hour and 55 minutes, Ramanathan scored a 7-6(5) 7-6(5) win over 160th ranked Stefano Napolitano, who won the Bengaluru Open last week.
The 101-ranked Nagal will now take on compatriot Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha for a spot in the quarterfinals, while Ramanathan will lock horns with Russia’s Alexy Zakahrov.
Also moving to the round of 16 was Australia’s Adam Walton, who recorded a 7-6 (1), 6-2 win over Belgian qualifier Raphael Collignon.
The fourth seed Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot defeated the former world No 25, Vasek Pospisil 6-3, 7-5.
South Korea’s Seongchan Hong, a finalist in the Bengaluru Open, lost to Poland’s Maks Kasnikowski 4-6, 2-6. Oriol Roca Batalla, a semi-finalist last week, was knocked out by USA’s Tristian Boyer 2-6, 6-4, 2-6.
In the doubles, Indian wildcards Siddhant Banthia and Parikshit Somani advanced to the quarterfinals with a 5-7, 7-6 (5), 10-5 win over Luca Margaroli and Goncalo Oliveira.
But the fourth seeds Sriram Balaji and Andre Begemann were beaten by Japan’s Toshihide Matsui/Kaito Uesugi 4-6, 7-6 (5), 10-5. (PTI)