India’s Ramkumar Ramanathan finished as the runner-up in his first final on the ATP World Tour as Steve Johnson won the Hall of Fame Classic grass court tournament in Newport, Rhode Island on Sunday. The third seeded American beat the first-time finalist from India 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 in the rain-delayed final.
The 28-year-old American earned his fourth career ATP title and second of the season, winning 83% of his first serves in the one hour, 59 minute hour match on the grass courts.
Ramkumar, was better on serve with 10 aces to four double faults, but gave up two easy breaks which proved to be decisive. He played a good game on grass, with a mix of serve and volley that gave him solid points, especially at the net.
The first set was on serve for 11 straight games before an unforced error put the Indian’s big serve under pressure and Johnson capitalised.
While he staged a comeback of sorts in the second set, with an early break and much more attacking returns, he couldn’t keep up the momentum losing his serve in the very first game of the decider.
The 23-year-old player is the third-lowest ranked player to reach a ATP final this year. Ranked 161st in the world, he aimed to become the first Indian ATP titlist since Leander Paes was victorious at the same tournament two decades ago.
“I am going to keep going, giving my best, and next time I am going to win the title,” he said after the match.
Johnson, who had one prior grass court title, had never moved past the quarter-finals in three previous main draw appearances at Newport. The start of the match was delayed because of weather and it also rained during portions of the contest.
The American also had to receive treatment in the second set for a sore shoulder after a hard tumble to the ground. “I fell awkwardly on my shoulder, it just stung for a bit,” he said.
But he was fit enough to win the title after breezing through the draw without dropping more than three games in a set heading into the final.
“He came out and served great,” Johnson said about his Indian opponent. “He was phenomenal around the net and I was just happy to take care of my one chance in the first set and get a lead and buckle down in the third.”
Ramkumar had defeated America’s Tim Smyczek 6-4, 7-5 on Saturday to book his place in the final, becoming the first Indian since Somdev Devvarman to play an ATP final. He was 1-2 this year in ATP events until this week, and was on a five-match losing streak, including the qualifiers at Wimbledon.
In the first round, he beat Dominican Victor Burgos 6-4, 6-1 and followed it up with a big win over American eighth seed Denis Kudla 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the second round to set up the clash with the Canadian Vasek Pospisil, another higher-ranked player, which he won 7-5, 6-2.
It’s been 20 years since an Indian won an ATP tour final, which incidentally came at the same tournament in Newport when Leander Paes won his career’s only singles title in 1998.
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