IMAGE: Sumit Nagal stretched World No 54 Flip Krajinovic to a three-setter however misplaced the match when he tried to improvise within the decider in a good scenario on the Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune. Photograph: Tata Open Maharashtra/Twitter

Former Davis Cup captain Anand Amritraj is baffled that India’s finest singles gamers should not in a position to win shut matches on the ATP World Tour regardless of having a good sport to again them, saying it is “worrisome”.

Amritraj mentioned that on the World Tour stage, greater than the bottom strokes it is the flexibility to soak in strain and make the fitting calls within the crunch scenario that dictates the end result of the matches and the Indian gamers must work on that.  

Sasikumar Mukund, nation’s highest-ranked singles participant, Ramkumar Ramanathan and Sumit Nagal ran the higher-ranked gamers shut on the Tata Open Maharashtra however finally fell brief and made first spherical exits.

All of them took the match to a stage from the place both participant may have gained however couldn’t win factors when it mattered.

Mukund, ranked 340, misplaced 4-6, 5-7 to Flavio Cobolli (ranked 171) whereas Ramkumar (ranked 435) misplaced to world quantity 62 Pedro Martinez regardless of taking a one-set lead (6-3, 5-7, 3-6).

Nagal, whose rating has plummeted to 503 after injury-forced break, stretched World No 54 Flip Krajinovic to a three-setter however misplaced the match when he tried to improvise within the decider in a good scenario.

“I was very impressed with Sumit Nagal, I thought he played great; just a couple of bad choices of shots in the final set at 4-4, and that cost him the match,” Amritraj, who captained the Indian Davis Cup staff between 2013 and 2018, mentioned.

“I watched Saikumar Mukund, again, very close, 6-4 7-5, a couple of shots here and there. I don’t understand why our boys as well as they play, are not able win matches on the ATP Tour. They do well in Challengers, but they need to win matches in bigger events.

“Closing out matches appears to be a difficulty.”

The organisers handed a wild card entry to 15-year-old Manas Dhamne and he came out with flying colours. He did not win the match but put up a good fight against seasoned American Michael Mmoh without getting overwhelmed by the occasion.

Amritraj, 71, said Dhamne’s defeat is still acceptable but experienced players like Nagal and Mukund should be able to win.

“The closing out problem is worrisome. In the case of 15-year-old, it’s lack of expertise, however come to Sumit Nagal and Mukund, they’ve performed sufficient on the Tour to shut out matches.

“Tennis, as we know, is all between the ears. Everybody has the shots, the backhand, the forehand, the volleys, and the serves at this level of the game. It’s a question of how you close out the match. That all comes down to confidence or what goes inside your head.

“At the enterprise finish of the set or the match, the way you serve it out. It comes all the way down to few factors right here and there.”

Amritraj said the phenomena of Indian players getting injured frequently is also not a great sign. Nagal underwent a hip surgery in November 2021 and lost about four months of action. When he resumed competing, ended up losing 11 first round matches and is sitting outside top-500.

His biggest win came on his favourite surface (clay) against Germany’s Daniel Altmaier, who was placed 103 at that time in October 2022 (now ranked 96).

Mukund had a back issue troubling him in the past and he had also pulled out of Davis Cup tie against Pakistan due to a foot injury in 2019.

Yuki Bhambri and Prajnesh Gunneswaran lost crucial times in their respective careers due to injuries.

“Mukund is 25. Sumit is across the identical age. At this age, the primary factor is that you simply keep in good condition and keep match. I’m amazed on the variety of accidents these younger children have these days.

“In our generation, it hardly ever happened. I don’t know if it’s being physically lucky or what it is? Now you look at Yuki, he has not played much, he was lucky to come back (from injury) and play.

“He performed Davis Cup with me for 5 years. He is one in all my favorite gamers, he has been off singles for a while and now enjoying solely doubles with Saki (Saketh Myneni).”

India’s higher-ranked player as of today is Mukund at number 340, a phenomena that speaks volumes about the current state of Indian tennis.

Amritraj, who reached the US Open third in 1974, is obviously disappointed.   

“It is kind of unhappy to me that any person ranked 340 is the very best we’ve, strictly by the rankings. Sumit Nagal had an opportunity of stepping into the top-100 or 150. I at all times puzzled why Ramkumar was not in top-100. It’s unbelievable to me that all of them struggled in singles.”

Yuki Bhambri’s singles career has come to a halt due to injuries he has opted to play only the doubles format to prolong his career.  

While Amritraj feels Yuki must not ignore the singles completely, he does not want Ramkumar to follow the Delhi player in taking that decision.

“Ram ought to persist with singles for at the very least one other 12 months. There is at all times time to play doubles, Rohan is enjoying at 42. He is enjoying nicely. There is not any motive to chuck your singles and give attention to doubles on the age of 28 which Ram is.

“As far as Yuki is concerned, he had to make a call. He has a good partner in Saketh Myneni. The age of 30 is also maybe a good time to switch to the doubles. Yuki has played some unbelievable singles matches five-six years ago. I am not sure if he should ignore his singles but it looks he has made up his mind. It’s really a shame because he is still very talented,” he mentioned.