leg injury forces Myneni out of US Open after gallant fight

Indian qualifier Saketh Myneni gave a mighty scare to the world number 49 Jiri Veseley before limping out of the US Open due to cramps that scuttled his victory march, here.

Myneni, ranked 143 in singles, had a match point in the eighth game of the fifth set but stiffness in the right thigh restricted his movement badly and he was forced out 6-7 (5) 6-4 6-2 2-6 5-7 after battling hard for three hours and 47 minutes in a marathon first round match.

His first ever appearance in the singles draw of a Grand Slam thus ended in disappointment. Myneni was clearly a better player on the court but for fitness issues he lost the opportunity to play with Novak Djokovic, one of the greatest of the game, in the second round.

It brought back the memories of the Davis Cup tie against Korea last month in Chandigarh, where similar scenes were witnessed as both the Indian and the Koreans struggled to stand on court due to humid conditions.

"I competed hard till the end and happy with my progress at the Open. I loved every bit of support I got from my family, friends and the Greenwich family," Saketh told PTI.

After splitting four sets, Myneni broke the Czech in the fourth game to take a crucial 3-1 lead and led 4-2 in the fifth set. The match changed at that stage as Myneni took a medical time out due to issue in his right thigh but managed to hold for a 5-2 cushion.

From a commanding position, Myneni lost grip over the He surrendered serve twice after that as he hardly had the strength to stand. An error-prone Vesely kept the hopes of the Indian alive but Myneni was now limping, barely managing to stay.

Vesely just needed to keep the ball in play to close the contest.