Nagal continues good run , Ramkumar stuns last week winner to move into second round at PMRDA MahaOpen ATP Challenger 100 Men’s International Tennis Championships

Pune, February 20, 2024: Top seed Sumit Nagal, of India continued his good form while Wildcard Ramkumar Ramanathan stunned winner of last week Stefano Napolitano moving into the second round of the PMRDA MahaOpen ATP Challenger 100 Men’s International Tennis Championships, organised by Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA), on Tuesday.

Nagal, who won the ATP Challenger in Chennai and reached the semi-finals in Bengaluru prior to this week, came from a break down in the second set before finally prevailing 7-6 (6), 6-4 in two hours and five minutes.

In a thrilling match lasting 1 hour and 55 minutes Wildcard Ramkumar Ramanathan scored a brilliant 7-6(5),7-6(5) win over 160 ranked and winner of the Bengaluru title Stefano Napolitano and make it to the second round

Nagal, ranked No 101 in the world, will face countryman Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha for a spot in the quarter-finals while Ramkumar will take on qualifier Alexy Zakahrov of Russia

Third seed Adam Walton, of Australia, also advanced to the second round with a 7-6 (1), 6-2 win over Belgian qualifier Raphael Collignon while fourth seed Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot defeated former world No. 25 Vasek Pospisil 6-3, 7-5.

Elsewhere, South Korea’s Seongchan Hong, who reached the final in Bengaluru last week, was defeated by Poland’s Maks Kasnikowski 4-6, 2-6 while Oriol Roca Batalla, a semi-finalist last week, was knocked out by American Tristian Boyer 2-6, 6-4, 2-6.

In the doubles event, Indian wildcards Siddhant Banthia and Parikshit Somani advanced to the quarter-finals with a 5-7, 7-6 (5), 10-5 win over Luca Margaroli / Goncalo Oliveira. However, fourth seeds Sriram Balaji and Andre Begemann were upset by Japan’s Toshihide Matsui/ Kaito Uesugi 4-6, 7-6 (5), 10-5.

Singles Main Draw First Round
• [1] Sumit Nagal (IND) def. Yu Hsuio Hsu (TPE) 7-6 (6), 6-4
• [2] Duje Ajdukovic (CRO) vs [Q] SebastianFanselow (GER)
• [3] Adam Walton (AUS) def. [Q] Raphael Collignon (BEL) 7-6 (1), 6-2
• [4] Valentin Vacherot (MON) def. [Q] Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 6-3, 7-5
• [Q] Alexey Zakharov def. [6] Oliver Crawford (GBR) 7-6 (4), 6-3
• [7] Dane Sweeny (AUS) def. MMaxine Janvier (FRA) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4)
• Enzo Couacaud (FRA) def. [Q] Bernard Tomic (AUS) 6-4, 6-2
• Maks Kasnikowski (POL) def. Seongchan Hong (KOR) 6-4, 6-2
• Tristan Boyer (USA) def. Oriol Roca Batalla (ESP) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
• [Q] Felix Gill (GBR) def. Coleman Wong (HKG) 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-3
•[WC] R. Ramanathan (IND) def Stefano Napolitano (ITA) 7-6(5),7-6(5)
Doubles Main Draw First Round
• T. Matsui (JPN) / K. Uesugi (JPN) def. [4] N. Balaji (IND) / A. Begemann (GER) 4-6, 7-6 (5), 10-5
• [WC] S. Banthia (IND) / P. Somani (IND) def. L. Margaroli (SUI) / G. Oliveira (POR) 5-7, 7-6 (5), 10-5