Prajnesh Gunneswaran succumbs to crafty Elias Ymer in ATP Challenger final

PUNE: A tired-looking Prajnesh Gunneswaran discovered he needs to add more layers to his game as he went down to the crafty Swede Elias Ymer in the final of the $50,000 KPIT ATP Challenger at the MSLTA courts here on Saturday.
World No. 132 Ymer came into the final with his left knee taped, but it was the home favourite who struggled with fatigued legs as the former won 6-2, 7-5 in an hour and 27 minutes.
“He played better than me.I had my chances but he kept putting extra balls in. He deserved to win,” Gunneswaran, who was playing in his fourth Challenger final this season, said.
For Ymer, who was briefly coached by Robin Soderling this year, the win improves his record in Challenger finals to 6-0, stretching back to 2015.
“Playing in the evening, under the lights, suited my game. I served 12 aces, which is new for me,” the 22-year-old said.
The super aggressive game that Gunneswaran had displayed in Bengaluru Open and throughout this week was visible only in patches on Saturday.
Ymer kept the balls short and denied the Indian the pace he needs to unleash his forehand. The Swede also served with accuracy instead of blasting his way out. Yet, Gunneswaran was tentative at times even after pinning his younger opponent to the hoarding on more than on one occasion.
Unforced errors galore
However, it was the umpteen unforced errors on his strong forehand side that let the 29-year-old Chennai lad down.
He thwarted a double break-point situation in the fourth game, but two forehand errors cost him the serve in the sixth.
Gunneswaran handed the set with a double fault and yet another forehand error in the eighth.
The visiting pro came out of a 30-40 situation early in the first game. Gunneswaran looked a bit more balanced but his forehands kept wide or long, releasing the pressure on Ymer.
Still, Ymer was hanging in there too as the second set entered a crucial stage at 4-4. After saving two breakpoints in the eighth game, the Indian squandered one on Ymer’s serve with a forehand error. He then received a Code Violation warning for ball abuse. But the drama wasn’t over. Ymer made two uncharacteristic double faults but Gunneswaran didn’t really get a look in.
Then, serving to stay in the match at 5-6, a Gunneswaran volley fell inches long to hand Ymer a triple break point and the former surrendered it with a typical unforced error on the forehand.