N.Sriram Balaji
Wikipedia - Sriram Balaji
Sriram Balaji (born 18 March 1990) is an Indian professional tennis player. Balaji has a career high ATP singles ranking of world No. 287, achieved on 19 June 2017 and a doubles ranking of world No. 71 achieved on 13 November 2023.
Balaji has won a total of 9 ITF singles titles on the futures circuit as well as 43 doubles ITF Futures and 6 Challenger doubles titles on the circuit. He is currently a member of the Indian Davis Cup team. He played his debut Davis cup partnering Rohan Bopanna in March 2017 making India win 3–0 and enter into Davis Cup World Play off.
History
Balaji made his ATP main draw debut at the 2012 Aircel Chennai Open in the doubles event, partnering Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan. The wildcard pairing put up a good fight, but lost to the second seeds Scott Lipsky and Rajeev Ram 5–7, 4–6.
At the 2014 Aircel Chennai Open, Balaji was given a wildcard into the doubles event with Ramkumar Ramanathan. The Indian pair defeated Lipsky and Ram, who Balaji had lost to in 2012, 7–5, 6–3. In the quarterfinals the pair lost to Croatian-duo Marin Draganja and Mate Pavić, 3–6, 3–6.
Balaji joined the Mumbai Tennis Masters team for Champions Tennis League India.
He reached his first ATP final at the 2023 Tata Open Maharashtra with compatriot Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan as an alternate pair. They defeated compatriots Purav Raja and Divij Sharan in straight sets in first round. In the quarterfinals, they upset second seeds Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow in straight sets winning both sets in a tiebreak. Next they defeated British pair of Jack Cash and Henry Patten in the semifinals in straight sets to reach their first ATP Tour final as a team. Despite not losing a single set on their way to final they were defeated in straight sets by Sander Gillé and Joran Vliegen in the final. He won his second Grand Slam doubles match at the 2023 Australian Open with Nedunchezhiyan defeating fifth seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek as an alternate pair. He entered the main draw of the 2023 French Open making his debut at this Major also as an alternate pair with Nedunchezhiyan.