Ramkumar suffers shock first-round defeat at Binghamton Challenger

Binghamton (USA): Ramkumar Ramanathan squandered a one-set advantage to lose to lower-ranked American wild card, Alexander Ritschard, for a first-round exit from the Binghamton Challenger event here.

The second-seeded Indian, who got a first-round bye, lost 6-2 6-7(3) 2-6 to the 443rd ranked American in the second round of the USD 54160 hardcourt tournament.

Enjoying a career-best singles rank of 167 and coming into the event in good form, it was a surprise defeat for the Indian. He had ended runner-up at the Surbiton Trophy Challenger and won the Guzzini Challenger in Italy recently.