Sunil beaten in semis, Indian challenge ends in ATP Challenger

New Delhi, Dec 7 (UNI) Former national champion Sunil Kumar Sipaeya failed to produce another giant killing performance and lost to Czech Republic's Tomas Cakl as Indian challenge ended in the SAIL Open 50,000 dollar ATP challenger tennis tournament here today.

Wild card Sunil, who yesterday shocked second seed Pakistani Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, could not match the guiles of Cakl in the semi-final and lost in straight sets 4-6, 2-6 in 60 minutes.

Cakl will take on fifth seed Russian Michail Elgin in the final tomorrow. Elgin routed Ukrain's Ivan Sergeyev 6-1, 6-1 in another semi-final.

Sunil found going tough against Cakl from the very start as the Czech broke his very first serve.

However, the Indian came back in the match as he broke Cakl in the fourth game to level the set 2-2 after that game went with the serves till the ninth in which Sunil was again broken.

Cakl won the tenth game at love to win the first set (6-4).

The second set was virtually a repeat of the first, with Cakl dominating the proceedings. Sunil battled it as well as he could before throwing in the towel.

Cakl broke Sunil in the third but failed on to hold his own next serve. However, the Czech bounced back strongly breaking the Indian in the fifth (3-2) and the seventh(5-2) before wrapping up the second set 6-2 and the match.

''I did not play good enough today,'' said Sunil after the match and added ''Cakl is a better player, but anyway I am not disappointed. I had a good run in the tournament and hope to give better performance in future tournaments.'' Elgin took 55 minutes to demolish Ivan Sergeyev in a totally one-sided encounter.

The fifth seed Russian broke Sergeyev thrice in the first set -- in the third, fifth and seventh games --to take the first set rather easily.

He faced no problem in the second set too in which he broke Sergeyev twice -- in the fourth and sixth -- to win the set and the match.

The doubles title was won by third seed Chinese pair of Xin-Yuan Yu and Shao Xuan Zen. They beat Russian duo of P Chekhov/M Elgin 6-3, 6-3.

The victory fetched the Chinese 3100 dollar and 56 ATP points while the runners-up earned 1800 dollar and 38 ATP points.

UNI