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Pune, Oct 22 (IANS)
Third seed and Davis Cupper Somdev Devvarman's disappointing run on the ATP Tour continued as he went down to lower ranked Czech Republic's Adam Pavlasek 3-6, 6-7 (3) in the pre-quarterfinals of the KPIT-MSLTA Challenger tennis tournament here Wednesday.
Devvarman, ranked 143 and on a comeback trail in his bid to get back into top-100, was not his usual aggressive self.
However, Devvarman's Davis Cup team-mate and seventh seed Yuki Bhambri along with unseeded Saketh Myneni kept Indian hopes alive by advancing to the quarter-finals.
While Bhambri overcame Belgian Germain Gigounon 7-5, 6-4, Myneni put out fifth seeded Japanese Hiroki Moriya 6-1, 6-2.
Devvarman's miserable week was complete when he and N Vijay Sundar Prasthanth lost the doubles quarter-final tie to the top seeded Thai twins Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana 6-7 (4), 3-6.
Meanwhile, Myneni and Sanam Singh notched an impressive 7-6 (2), 6-2 win over second seeded Bhambri and Divij Sharan to enter the semi-finals.
Myneni stroked freely to register his seventh match on the trot by defeating 154th ranked Moriya in 55 minutes. Myneni played fluently serving six aces on his way to an easy win.
Myneni will take on top seeded Aleksandr Nedovyesov of Kazakhstan who scraped past Richard Becker of Germany 7-6 (2), 4-6, 7-6 (6) in two hours, 47 minutes.
Bhambri, ranked 179, broke twice in two sets to dispose off Gigounon 7-5, 6-4 to set up a clash with fourth seeded Yuichi Sugita of Japan who got the better of compatriot Toshihide Matsui 6-4, 7-5.
After getting drubbed in the first set, Devvarman raised hopes of a fightback by forcing a tiebreak in the second, but Pavlsek, ranked 258, hit a series of forehand winners to upset the Indian star.
"Pavlasek played well. I should have held my service game in the first set in the fifth game, but then, I had no chance," admitted Devvarman after the match.
Pavlasek will take on eighth seeded Kimmer Coppejans of Belgium who was given a tough fight by National champion and wild card Vishnu Vardhan before prevailing 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
The results (Indians unless mentioned):
Singles (Pre-quarter-finals): 1-Aleksandr Nedovyesov (KAZ) bt Richard Becker (GER) 7-6 (2), 4-6, 7-6 (6); Saketh Myneni bt 5-Hiroki Moriya (JPN) 6-1, 6-2; 4-Yuichi Sugita (JPN) bt Toshihide Matusi (JPN) 6-4, 7-5; 7-Yuki Bhambri bt Germain Gigounon (BEL) 7-5, 6-4; 8-Kimmer Coppejans (BEL) bt WC-Vishnu Vardhan 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; Adam Pavlasek (CZE) bt 3-Somdev Devvarman 6-3, 7-6 (3); 6-Adrian Menendez-Maceiras (ESP) bt Sanam Singh 6-1, 6-2; 2-Alexander Kudryavtsev (RUS) bt Vijay Sundar Prashanth 6-0, 7-6 (5).
Doubles (Quarter-finals): 1-Sanchai Ratiwatana / Sonchat Ratiwatana (THA) bt WC-Somdev Devvarman / N Vijay Sundar Prasthanth 7-6 (4), 6-3; Germain Gigounon (BEL) / Fabrice Martin (FRA) bt Richard Becker (GER) / Alexander Kudryavtsev (RUS) 7-6 (5), 6-4; Toshihide Matsui / Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN) bt Hsin-Han Lee / Liang-Chi Huang (TPE) 7-6 (6), 6-3; Saketh Myneni / Sanam Singh bt 2-Yuki Bhambri / Divij Sharan 7-6 (2), 6-2.
