Yuki Bhambri crashed out in the first round of the US Open qualifiers.
India faced disappointment in the first round of US Open qualifiers with both players in action on the opening day crashing out early. Yuki Bhambri and Prajnesh Gunneswaran both were defeated in their first round matches at Flushing Meadows reducing India’s hopes of seeing an Indian in the singles department to just one – Ramkumar Ramanathan. Bhambri’s loss came as a surprise considering how well he had been playing on the US hard courts.
Bhambri lost 6-4, 1-6, 3-6 to number 22 seed Japan’s Go Soeda in a match lasting an hour and 44 minutes. Meanwhile Prajnesh lost 1-6, 4-6 to Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann.
Now the onus falls firmly on Ramkumar to keep India’s flag flying when he takes on France’s Paul-Henri Mathieu.
There was disappointment for more Indians in the United States on Tuesday as newly formed pairing of Leander Paes and Purav Raja lost in the first round of the Winston-Salem Open. Raja chose to partner with Paes to qualify for the tournament and the upcoming US Open after his usual partner of Divij Sharan and him dropped some crucial points earlier this season. Paes/Raja lost to Paolo Lorenzi and Franko Skugor 7-6, 3-6, 5-10.
