Hall of Fame Open: Anirudh-Arjun lose in semifinals

The juggernaut of India’s Anirudh Chandrasekar and Arjun Kadhe came to an end in the semifinals of the Newport Infosys Hall of Fame ATP Open in the USA on Friday. This will also mark the last edition of the tournament which started in 1976.

The American pair ended the otherwise fine run of the Indian duo in the tournament.

Anirudh and Arjun were favourites to win the semifinals after defeating the tournament’s top seeds and defending doubles champions.

They had proven their mettle by winning the quarterfinals in a tiebreaker a day later. However, they couldn’t replicate their performance in the semifinals and were decisively outplayed by James and Robert.

Defeated comprehensively

The Indian duo never really kept going right from the start. James and Robert were able to gain many break points, never really letting Anirudh and Arjun get back into the game or gain momentum. Multiple double faults on the Indian side further handed the advantage to their opponents.

In the end, the American pair of James and Robert breezed past Anirudh and Arjun 6-4, 6-3.

Hall of Fame Open

The Infosys Hall of Fame Open, also known as the ATP 250 Newport Open, is an international tennis tournament held in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. Since its inception in 1976, this grass-court tournament has been held annually and is approaching its final edition this year.

Vijay Amritraj, the first winner of the tournament, claimed victory in its inaugural year and went on to win it in 1980 and 1984. He also secured two doubles titles in 1983 and 1986. Another notable Indian player, Leander Paes, won the singles title in 1998 and a doubles title in 1999.

A special felicitation ceremony has been planned to honour Vijay Amritraj and Leander Paes for their recent induction into the Hall of Fame.