Rajeev Ram and Jan Hernych are set to meet on Sunday in the final of the Ortisei ChallengerYou can watch and bet on the ATP Ortisei Challenger live for free at bet365 > live tennisRajeev Ram was given a stern test on Saturday in the semi-finals of the Ortisei Chalenger, but he managed to prevail against Konstantin Kravchuk in a thrilling three-setter (7-5, 6-7(3), 7-6(2). The American won an incredible 91% of the points played on his first serve, which appears to have something to do with the remarkably pacy court conditions here.
Ram’s opponent in Sunday’s final will be Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic. Hernych caused an upset on Saturday by defeating top seed and tournament favourite Philipp Petzschner in three sets (3-6, 6-2, 6-3). Things could have been easier for Hernych, but Petzschner was able to save fifteen of the nineteen break points played on his serve.
Hernych’s return game is strong, so Ram might not enjoy a repetition of his first serve dominance. Still, if Ram is able to make his first serve count again, he’ll be in with a big opportunity to win the title. The courts in Ortisei are arguably the fastest on the Challenger Tour, and Ram has a chance to use this to his advantage on Sunday.
