US Open 2016 | Saketh Myneni loses thrilling 5-setter in first round

In the first round of the US Open, Saketh Myneni, who is World No. 143, will faced Jiri Vesely of Czech Republic, who is World No. 48. The 23-year-old Czech had reached the fourth round at the Wimbledon earlier this year, and he was expected to get an easy passage into the next round. However, the match did not quite play out according to the script.

The first set went down a tie-breaker which Vesely won 7-5. However, Myneni fought back immediately and broke his opponent thrice in the next two sets, aided by some unforced errors from the Czech, and won them 6-4 and 6-2 respectively to take a 2-1 lead in the game.

But, just when it seemed like the Indian will be able to pull off an upset, a cramp on his right thigh hindered his movement massively. Vesely won the fourth set comfortably at 6-2, and it all came down to the deciding fifth set.

Myneni fought his pain and discomfort to take a 5-2 lead in the final set and was even serving for the match at one point. However, at this point, his leg was so stiff that he could hardly walk properly. Vesely just had to keep the ball in the court in order to win the game. He broke the India thrice and ended up winning the fifth set 7-5.

With this loss, Myneni, who became the first Indian to make it to the first round of the US Open men's singles event since Somdev Devvarman in 2013, missed out on the chance to face World No.1 Novak Djokovic in the next round.