After long fight, Myneni bows out

New York, August 30 

Saketh Myneni posted an inspired display against higher-ranked Jiri Vesely before going down 7-6(5) 4-6 2-6 6-2 7-5 against the Czech player in the first round of the US Open. The marathon match stretched for three hours and 47 minutes here on Monday.

Myneni, ranked 143rd, fought bravely for the better part of the match. Despite conceding the first set in a tie-breaker, he responded strongly. He played aggressively to break his opponent’s serve thrice to claim the next two sets, raising hopes of a victory against the world No. 49.

But his movements were severely restricted by cramps, which forced him to concede the fourth set.

That didn’t deter the 28-year-old from battling on and he was leading 4-1 in the deciding final set.

Both players were relentless and waited for the opponent to falter.

Vesely, 23, aided by the Myneni’s cramps, utilised the opportunity to break the Indian thrice consecutively to recover from 2-5 to win the set and match.

In the end, Myneni could barely stand due to physical exhaustion.

Myneni was the sole Indian in the men’s singles competition. He is the first Indian since Yuki Bhambri to enter the main draw of a Grand Slam event and also the first since Somdev Devvarman in 2013 to qualify for the US Open main draw. — IANS