The well built Maharashtra player, who has a gait resembling his father, former Indian cricketer Ashok Mankad, displayed commendable fighting qualities as he came back from the loss of the first game to register a 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory to move within a match of qualifying for the ATP Tour event.

Mankad, a former National junior champion, did not lose heart after going down in the opening set against an opponent ranked 311 on the ATP computer. The Indian played some exhilarating tennis, and made Cowan run around the court with sharply directed returns on either flank. By the time he took the second set, Cowan was totally exhausted. Apparently overcome by the heat, the UK player was more a mute spectator. He made a number of unforced errors and Mankad was able to wrap up the decider in double quicktime.

Mankad now plays third seeded David Nainkin of South Africa tomorrow. Nainkin, ranked 249 made short work of Vinod Sridhar 6-1, 6-4. National grass court champion Marcus Hilpert moved into the final qualifying round without hitting a ball. His opponent fifth seeded Filippo Veglio of Switzerland defaulted because of an injury. Hilpert now plays fourth seed Vladi Voltchkov of Belarus, ranked 260 in the final qualifying round.

Voltchkov had to beat back a spirited challenge from Sandeep Kirtane before winning 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.

Top seed Peter Tramacchi of Australia, ranked 158, waged a grim battle against Gaurav Natekar before emerging winner. Natekar, a former Davis Cup player won the first set 6-4, only for Tramacchi to hit back in taking the second set 6-2. Taking the heat in their stride, both players fought an enthusiastic duel in the decider before Tramacchi's greater stamina had the final say.

Taking the decider 6-4, Tramacchi now plays Max Mirnyi of Belarus for a place in the main draw. Theunseeded Mirnyi and the seventh seeded Jiri Vanek, ranked 325, fought out an engrossing battle in the first set which Mirnyi finally won in the tie breaker (7-5). That elongated set seemed to have sapped Vanek's energy and he went down tamely 6-2 in the second set.

Two other Indians also failed to make the final qualifying round. Second seeded Jeff Salzenstein of USA, ranked 180, scored a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 victory over Manoj Mahadevan. One service break in each set sufficed for the American to complete the victory. And Rishi Sridhar found the No 8 seed, Jim Thomas, ranked 328, too hot to handle and went down 4-6, 4-6.

RESULTS

Qualifying (2nd round): Peter Tramacchi (USA) bt Gaurav Natekar (India) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, Max Mirnyi (Belarus) bt Jiri Vanek (Czech) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, Jeff Salzenstein (USA) bt Manoj Mahadevan (India) 6-4, 6-3, Jim Thomas (USA) bt Rishi Sridhar (India) 6-4, 6-4, David Nainkin (South Africa) bt Vinod Sridhar (India) 6-1, 6-4, Harsh Mankad (India) bt Barry Cowan (UK) 3-6, 6-4,6-0, Vladi Voltchkov (Belarus) bt Sandeep Kirtane (India) 7-5, 5-7, 6-4, Marcus Hilpert (Germany) w/o Fillipo Veglio (Swiss).