Tata Open: Karatsev, van de Zandschulp shine after Cilic withdrawal

Marin Cilic has formed a nice connect with the Pune crowd, what with the “let’s go Cilic” chants in his Round of 16 on Wednesday night. And so when the top seed withdrew due to a knee issue just before his quarter-final on Thursday afternoon, it was unfortunate not just for the ATP Tata Open Maharashtra but the fans that had built up nicely for the 2014 US Open champion.

No 1 seed a no-show, the No 2 seed turned up just about right. The 35th-ranked Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp swept past German qualifier Maximilian Marterer 6-4, 6-2 to cruise into the semi-finals. Joining him there will be world No 59 Aslan Karatsev, the Russian who took the 2021 Australian Open by storm. Karatsev was as clinical against Spaniard Pedro Martinez in his 6-1, 6-2 win before Cilic withdrew, making unseeded Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor his last-four opponent.

Karatsev’s power-infused game was no match for the Spaniard who could only put the ball back into play more in hope than any real intent from behind the baseline. Once Karatsev got the early break in the second set too while Martinez couldn’t seize his only opening of breaking right back, the Russian blazed away under the afternoon sun.

Equally hot in the gentler evening breeze was van de Zandschulp, coming off a strong 2022 season. The Dutchman, made to sweat by Italian Flavio Cobolli in the previous round, was in full flow against Marterer.

“It was a completely different match from yesterday (Wednesday),” said van de Zandschulp. “He (Marterer) was playing aggressive and tried to keep the points short. I served really well today, made a lot of returns, played a lot more consistently than yesterday.”

The world No 35 did not face a single break point in the match, his forehand doing the damage. The southpaw Marterer began leaking errors from that wing, his wide crosscourt forehand handing the Dutchman the break in the ninth game.

Marterer was now missing at the net too, and got caught there by a brilliant backhand passing winner from van de Zandschulp for the early edge in the second set.

Jeevan-Balaji pair stuns 2nd seeds, in semis

Meanwhile, in a rare cheer for Indians in the country’s lone ATP 250 event, the doubles pair of N Sriram Balaji and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan stunned the American second seeds Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow 7-6(6), 7-6(5) to book a spot in the semi-finals. Their match pushed on centre court after Cilic’s withdrawal, the alternate Indian pair did put on a show for the fans who’d turned up to witness Cilic.

The Croatian, however, did not turn up for the last-eight clash after he had won his opening match on Wednesday night in three sets against Roberto Carballes Baena.

“Very sorry that I couldn’t come out again today to compete. Today during the warm-up I injured my knee and unfortunately it didn’t get better until I was about to go out on the court,” Cilic said in a statement.