World Team Cup, Group Play, Round 3
Sri Lanka vs. Italy, Indoors
Two out of three ties freaking indoors. What is this nonsense? Anyway, it looked like it might be tough early on, with
Siu-Chung Men, ranked all of 68th in the world, hanging right with
Amrik Kasaravalli in the first match. Eventually score there was Amrik winning 6-7(6), 7-6(6), 7-6(2), 6-4. But that opening set would be the only one we would lose all week. Sri Lanka defeats Italy 5-0 and avoids the ignominy of having to go into a playoff . .. which ironically probably would have been better for experience purposes.
Nasir Chittoor gets a couple of straight-sets wins, his first in WTC play, and one for
Chiba/Guha as well. Netherlands beats the USA to win the group, and our WTC involvement ends, prematurely in my view. For the moment we slip to #5 behind the Czech Republic
Chittoor entered the Houston 250 (Clay) the next week along with a number of other Anilophiles. He would lose in the QFs to
Algot Hakanson, 6-4, 7-6(5). Hakanson's superior athleticism was the difference, but it was close enough that if I'd been in the form sweet-spot Nasir might have gotten the upset. And he was stupidly close to it, literally just 0.1 short of getting the bonus. Grrr. Top seed Vicars took advantage of the home crowd to win the title. Over at the Grand Prix Hassan 250 (Clay), Kasaravalli was the top seed ... and was upset by
Andrey Rublev in the QF there. Went to the third-set tiebreak, but Rublev despite being an inferior player with only moderate clay abilities earned the win. Disgusting showing by Sri Lanka's best.
Clavet Moniotte came away with the win, beating Rhodes in the final.