Kolkata: Unseeded Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan played true to his form to pick up his second ITF men's Futures title in three weeks.
In the final of the $10,000 event here on the clay courts of the Jaidip Mukerjea Tennis Academy on Saturday, Jeevan produced a fine blend of control and aggression to blow away the challenge of compatriot N. Sriram Balaji in straight sets 6-2, 6-1. Having honed his skills in the very competitive Intercollegiate Tennis Association circuit in America, where he played while studying for four years, Jeevan's game reflected the maturity and confidence of a winner. Having never dropped a set in the tournament, Jeevan had a shaky start as the big-hitting Balaji broke the former's very first service game — the second of the opening set — producing a series of winners. The 23-year-old southpaw, who won the Pune Futures barely two weeks ago, regained his rhythm quickly and broke Balaji back in the third game working on the accuracy of his returns. Jeevan used the width of the court well and came up with a mix of cross-court and down-the-line returns that induced his opponent to make repeated errors. Balaji, who had three break points while leading 2-1 in the fourth game, squandered the advantage as Jeevan salvaged the game and went on to win the set. Jeevan held serve and broke Balaji again in the fifth and the seventh games to win the set 6-2. The second set saw Balaji muddling up even more as Jeevan tightened his grip. While preserving his service games Jeevan earned breaks in the first, third and the seventh games of the former. Jeevan won the second set 6-1 and wrapped up the match in just 71 minutes. Saying that the title convinced him about his ability to look for bigger results in the professional circuit, Jeevan added that he would be training harder for the new season in the Schüttler-Waske Tennis University in Germany where he spent some time before coming here. He also said that he would be playing the upcoming Chennai Open and has got the opportunity to train with Mahesh Bhupathi in Mumbai before of the tournament. The result: Men: Final: Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan bt N. Sriram Balaji 6-2, 6-1 . The Hindu