Adil Kalyanpur managed to keep himself on course by entering the second round of the boys' singles, even as 13 other Indians bit the dust in the BVG India-MSLTA B1 ITF Asian Junior Tennis Championships here today.
Kalyanpur, ranked 324th in the world, needed to dig deep into his reserves in a baseline battle to oust his 211-ranked Japanese rival Rimpei Kawakami 3-6 7-6(4) 7-5 after an energy-sapping two-hour and 58-minute contest at the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association's Mhalunge Balewadi complex.
In another keenly-fought match, 16-year-old local wild card, Siddanth Banthia, surrendered a 3-0 lead in the first set to go down in three sets to second seeded Philippines player Albert Lim, ranked 31st in the world, after a three-hour battle.
Lim scraped past Banthia 7-6(4) 4-6 6-2.
In another close match, Lam Ching of Hong Kong prevailed over 14-year-old 'Road to Wimbledon' winner Dev Javia of India 4-6 6-1 6-2.
Top seed Horie Toru of Japan, world no. 27, led five other Japanese players into the round of 16.
Among those only eighth seeded Tajima Naoki went through a tough grind as he was extended by national junior champion Vasisht Cheruku before winning 6-4 3-6 6-2.
The results:
Boys singles (1st round): Hori Toru (Jpn,1) bt Dhruv Sunish (Ind) 6-0 7-5; Han Seon Yong (Kor) bt Drona Walia (Ind) 6-3 6-4; Trotter James Kent (Jpn) bt Shramay Dhawan (Ind) 6-3 6-2; Tang A (HKG,7) bt Rishi Reddy (Ind) 7-6(1) 6-3; Zhao Lingxi (Chn,4) bt Rishabh Sharada (Ind) 6-0 6-2; Shinji Hazawa (Jpn) bt Udayan Bhakar (Ind) 6-3 6-4; Tseng Chun Hsin (Tpe) bt Ballekere Ravikumar Nikshep (Ind) 6-2 6-1; Tajima Naoki (Jpn,8) bt Vasisht Cheruku (Ind) 6-4 3-6, 6-2; Lyu Chenqze (Chn,6) bt Kaivalya Kalamse (Ind) 6-0 6-3; Lam Ching (HKG) bt Dev Javia (Ind) 4-6 6-1 6-2; Yuta Shimizu (Jpn,3) bt A Vannemreddy (Ind) 6-3 6-1; Mu Tao(Chn) bt M Senthilkumar (Ind)6-3 6-0; Adil Kalyanpur (Ind) bt Rimpei Kawakami (Jpn) 3-6 7-6(4) 7-5; Lim Alberto (PHI,2) bt Siddhant Banthia (Ind) 7-6(4) 4-6 6-2.
