ATP Pune Challenger: Easy for Somdev, Yuki; Ramkumar exits

India's top singles players, led by Somdev Devvarman, easily advanced to the second round of ATP Pune Challenger on Tuesday, but rising star Ramkumar Ramanathan made a shock first-round exit.

Third seed Somdev proved too good for local wild card Arjun Kadhe, scoring a 6-1, 6-3 victory in 60 minutes.

Seventh seed Yuki Bhambri disposed of the challenge of Chinese Taipei's Liang-Chi Huang 6-3, 6-0.

Indore Open winner Saketh Myneni also had it easy, cruising past Frenchman Fabrice Martin 6-2, 6-2, while Sanam Singh advanced when his Italian opponent Stefano Travaglia conceded the match due to an inflamed ankle.

Sanam was leading 5-2 when Travaglia quit.

In an all-Indian contest, qualifier Vijay Sundar Prashant battled past Sasi Mukund, winning 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-1 after two hours and two minutes.

However, it turned out to be a tough day for Ramkumar as he was beaten in the first round 5-7, 6-7(4) by fourth seeded Japanese Yuichi Sugita.

Ramkumar later lost his doubles match, partnering Arjun Kadhe.

They were beaten 6-7(4), 7-5, 10-7 by Germain Gigounon of Belgium and Fabrice Martin of France.

Also losing in the singles were Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan, N Sriram Balaji and doubles specialist Purav Raja.

Raja went down fighting to eighth seed Kimmer Coppejans of Belgium 4-6, 5-7 while Czech player Adam Pavlasek scored a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Jeevan.

Spain's Adrian Menendez Macarias accounted N Sriram Balaji 6-4, 6-4. Second seeded Aleksandr Kudryatsev of Russia was tested by wild card and national runner-up Siddarth Rawat before prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

In the doubles, the Indian pair of Myneni and Sanam Singh thrashed Riccardo Ghedin of Italy and Belgian Yannick Reuter 6-1, 6-0 while second seeds Yuki and Divij Sharan saved two match-points before prevailing over wild cards Nedunchezhiyan and Vishnu Vardhan 7-6 (6), 6-7(4), 10-7.

Image: Somdev Devvarman