Prakash fails to qualify for Wimbledon men's singles

London:

Prakash Amritraj completed an Indian quartet in the Wimbledon championships after qualifying for the men's doubles event but faltered in the singles on Thursday.

The seventh seeded Indo-Pakistani pair of Prakash and Aisam-ul Haq Qureshi stunned Thai fourth seed Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana 7-6 (5) 6-4 in the second and final round.

Earlier in the day Prakash lost his final round of the singles qualifying event 6-3 5-7 3-6 4-6 to American Michael Yani.

Prakash has joined fellow qualifier Somdev Devvarman and seasoned pros Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi in the 64-pair men's doubles draw of the prestigious grass court Grand Slam.

Somdev and his South African partner Kevin Anderson had qualified yesterday.

Prakash last played in a Grand Slam in the men's doubles event of the 2004 Australian Open, where he made first round exit.

Prakash and Aisam had three match points in the ninth game but the Thai pair saved all to hold serve. The Indo-Pak duo though did not waste time in sealing the issue in the next game.

With Prakash's defeat in the singles, India's wait to see a player competing in the singles event of a Grand Slam, since 2002, continues.

It was Prakash himself who last played in a Grand Slam for India in 2002 US Open where he lost both his singles and doubles first round matches.

After taking the first set, courtesy one break, Prakash faced a stiff competition from Yani in the second set. The chance to break the American eluded Prakash, who dropped his serve in the 12th game to allow his rival a comeback.

Finding momentum, Yani stepped on gas and took away the third set as well to race to a lead.

Prakash made a bad start to the fourth set as he dropped his serve in the first game. He got two chances to break Yani in the sixth game but failed to convert any. However, he got that elusive break in the eighth game and equalled the scores 4-4.

However, again Prakash was broken in the ninth game and Yani served out the match in the next game.