Indian Davis Cupper Rohan Bopanna and his unseeded compatriot Vijay Kannan entered the men's singles quarter-finals in contrasting styles in the US $15,000 ITF Futures tennis tournament in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Fifth seeded Bopanna was leading 6-3, 2-0 in his pre-quarter-final, when his opponent, Toshihie Matsui of Japan, conceded the match due to an upset stomach.
Unseeded Kannan rallied magnificently after dropping the first set 2-6 to pip Juraj Hasko of Slovakia, another unseeded player, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 in an hour and 46 minutes.
However, things did not turn out as well for two other Indians who were seen in action -- Davis Cupper Harsh Mankad and unseeded Ajay Ramaswamy. Both bowed out without a fight.
Eighth seeded Mankad was shocked 3-6, 1-6 by unseeded David Sherwood of England in just 55 minutes while another Englishman and qualifier Jonathan Marray crushed Ramaswamy 6-0, 6-3 in exactly one hour.
In other pre-quarter finals, fourth seed Fred Hemmes of the Netherlands beat unseeded countryman Jasper Smit 6-4, 6-3 while in a battle between two qualifiers -- Hiroki Kondo of Japan and Daniel Lesske of Germany -- Lesske subdued the Japanese 6-3, 6-1.
Kannan, who had accounted for seventh seed Jakub Hasek of the Czech Republic in the first round yesterday, again showed his fighting qualities after dropping his serve in the first and third games of the first set before losing it at 2-6.
But the Indian pulled up his socks and gave a tremendous display of attacking tennis in the second set. Games went with serves till the ninth game before Kannan forced a few unforced errors from his opponent and effected the crucial break in the tenth game to win the set 6-4.
In the decider it was the Indian all the way, as he broke in the second, fourth and sixth games to win 6-0.
Kannan will now take on Lesske in the last eight stage while Bopanna will clash with fourth seed Hemmes tomorrow.
Qualifier Zbnek Mlynarik of Austria also made it to the last eight with a 6-2, 6-4 win in one hour five minutes over lucky loser Giuseppe Menga of Italy.
The second and last leg would be held at Kolkata from March 24 to 30.
Results (men's singles) pre-quarter-finals: Fred Hemmes (Net) bt Jasper Smit (Net) 6-4, 6-3; Rohan Bopanna (Ind) bt Toshihise Matsui (Jpn) 6-3, 2-0 (conceeded), Vijay Kannan (Ind) bt Juraj Hasko (Svk) 2-6, 6-4, 6-0; Jonathan Marray (GBR) bt Ajay Ramaswamy (Ind) 6-0, 6-3; David Sherwood (GBR) bt Harsh Mankad (Ind) 6-3, 6-1; Daniel Lesske (Ger) bt Hiroki Kondo (Jap) 6-3, 6-1.
