Karan Singh tumbles early

Skatov sailed into the second spherical on Monday.
| Photograph Credit score: Kamesh Srinivasan

Eighth seed Timofei Skatov proved a tough nut to crack for Karan Singh because the Kazakh ran away a 6-4, 6-0 victor within the first spherical of the Dafa Information $100,000 Delhi Open Challenger tennis match on the DLTA Complicated on Monday.

The expertise and experience of the 24-year-old Kazakh, who was ranked a career-best 123 in 2023, was evident in the best way he studied the Indian’s recreation and the sluggish situations to plot his approach ahead with crisp execution.

The 21-year-old Karan, ranked a modest 500, did have the large recreation as he confirmed in some entertaining rallies and some elegant winners, however not the consistency to make a higher struggle of it.

Karan conceded far an excessive amount of floor, particularly early within the first set, and that proved decisive in setting the tempo for the competition.

Earlier, Aryan Shah fought exhausting within the second and closing qualifying spherical earlier than being crushed 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 by seventh seed Masamichi Imamura of Japan. Aryan had defeated third seed Blake Ellis of Australia, however couldn’t play that degree within the third set.

The 2 high gamers of the nation, Davis Cuppers Ramkumar Ramanathan and S. Mukund, will take the courtroom on Tuesday.

There was brightened hope for the Indian camp as Mukund’s opponent, fourth-seeded Lloyd Harris of South Africa withdrew, and was changed by lucky-loser Sascha Wayenburg of France.

The outcomes: First spherical: Michael Geerts (Bel) bt Zsombor Piros (Hun) 6-3, 7-5; Timofey Skatov (Kaz) bt Karan Singh 6-4, 6-0.