Ramkumar Ramanathan became the first Indian singles player since 2011 to reach the semifinals of an ATP World Tour event when he defeated Canada’s Vasek Pospisil 7-5, 6-2 to reach the last four stage at the Hall of Fame Open in Newport on Thursday.
Somdev Devvarman was the last Indian singles player to reach this far in an ATP Tour event. The former India number one had reached the final of two ATP 250 events – 2009 Chennai Open, where he lost to Marin Cilic and 2011 SA Tennis Open in Johannesburg, where he had finishes runner-up to Kevin Anderson.
Ramkumar, who had lost at the quarterfinal stage twice before at the 2016 Chennai Open and 2017 Antalya Open, would now need to get the better of American Tim Smyczek to reach his first ATP Tour final.
The world No. 161 Indian put up a commanding performance, surrendered only seven points on his first serve in the 78 minute encounter.
The Chennai-born player was 1-2 this year in ATP events until this week, and was on a five-match losing streak, including the qualifiers at Wimbledon.
But at the ATP 250 event in Newport, Rhode Island, he turned it around. He ousted Dominican Victor Burgos 6-4, 6-1 in his opener and dispatched US eighth seed Denis Kudla 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the second round to set up the clash with the Canadian, who had beaten him in the Australian Open qualifiers earlier this year.
Ramkumar now has to get past world number 123 Smyczek. The 30-year-old, also a first-time semi-finalist, beat Taiwan’s Jason Jung 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 in quarter-final.
The two have not played each other before but their triumphs ensure one of them will reach his first ATP singles championship match on Sunday.
On Friday, US third seed Steve Johnson will take on Israel’s 156th-ranked Dudi Sela and 124th-ranked Spaniard Marcel Granollers faces French top seed Adrian Mannarino in the other two quarterfinals.
Saturday’s semi-finals will be staged around the International Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Czech Helena Sukova and Germany’s Michael Stich.
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