Divij moves ahead

Divij Sharan displayed a good serve and volley game to knock his opponent out while Rohan Gajjar outplayed his fifth seed Italian opponent to advance to the second round of the $ 15000 ITF Futures tournament in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Sharan beat Chinese Taipei qualifier Huai-En Chang 6-4, 6-4 while qualifier Gajjar pipped Matteo Volante 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-3 in a tough first round match at DLTA Complex.

Sharan, the Delhi player, put pressure on his opponent by coming on the net regularly and did not let Chang settle. 

Chang played some stunning forehand winners but his inexperience did him in as he failed to win points when he was in a position to control the game.

Sharan broke Chang in the third game of the first set to go up 2-1 but only to drop next game when he netted a backhand while down 15-40.

Chang's double fault in the seventh game cost him the set and allowed the Indian to create 4-3 lead.

In the second set too, Sharan made Chang repeat mistakes by playing a sensible net game and broke him in the third game when the Taipei player could have easily won at 40-0.

They held next seven games and the issue was easily settled in the favour Sharan, who will next play compatriot Navdeep Singh.

Wild Card Ranjeet Virali-Murugesan fought bravely before going down to second seed Alexander Satschko of Germany 6-2, 5-7, 6-0 in a marathon match, lasting two hours and 34 minutes.

India's qualifier Kamala Kannan, a qualifier lost to Taipei qualifier Hsien-Yin Peng 6-7 (4), 6-7 (0) but not without impressing one and all by his solid game.