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Chennai Open: Cash makes no impact
Pat Cash and Karan Rastogi disappointed in their first round doubles, winnning just four games.
The hype about former Wimbledon Champion Pat Cash's return to ATP tour vanished in thin air as the Australian veteran partnering young Indian aspirant Karan Rastogi went down tamely in a first round doubles match against second seeded combine of Rainer Schuettler and Alexander Waske at the Chennai Open on Wednesday night.
The Indo-Australian pair was not the favourite to win the match, particularly faced with tough opponents in Schuettler, who had won the title last year pairing with Yet-IIsun Lu and Waske. But they crashed out without any semblance of fight 2-6 2-6 in just 53 minutes.
Cash, who had won the Wimbledon singles title in 1987, came here primarily as a commentator but later decided to pair up with Rastogi and take a wild card entry to return to the men's professional circuit after a gap of eight years.
Nevertheless, Cash, sporting his famous head band, did show glimpses of vintage stuff now and then closing out for winners with forehand smashes while Rastogi, whom the rivals targeted more, displayed grit to play some stunning shots from the net.
The German combine broke the serves of Cash and Rastogi once in each set to wrap up the match. They now meet the Czech pair of Lukas Dlouhy ad Pavel Vizner in the quarterfinals.
In another late night match at court 1, Hyung-Taik (Kor)/Bjorn Phau (Ger) defeated Belgium's Dick Norman/Kristof Vliegen 6-4 2-6 10-8 to move into the quarter final.
"I was rusty and he (Rastogi) inexperienced. Everything went against us".
Though expressing his disappointment at the scoreline, Cash said he enjoyed playing. "We did not get close. They served very well. We both missed some each chances."
But he was all praise for Rastogi. "With little more practice he will carry me along. All we need practice.""I was rusty and he (Rastogi) inexperienced. Everything went against us".
