Encouraging start from Prajnesh and company in Bengaluru Open

Fourth seed Prajnesh Gunneswaran beat Ivan Nedelko of Russia 6-2, 6-2 to make the pre-quarterfinals of the $150,000 Bengaluru Open Challenger.

Prajnesh who had won a similar tournament recently, will play qualifier Sebastian Fanselow of Germany.

Qualifier Sasi Kumar Mukund also made the second round to bring attention to his improved game, as he beat Collin Altamirano of the US 7-6(6), 6-3.

Mukund will play Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia who put out eighth seed Filip Peliwo of Cadana for the loss of two games.

Defending champion Sumit Nagal beat seventh-seed Jay Clarke of Britain 6-4, 7-5 to set up a second round against another Briton, James Ward.

Saketh Myneni beat fellow wild card entrant Adil Kalyanpur 6-3, 7-6(3), and will challenge qulaifier Youssef Hossam of Egypt who knocked out top seed Radu Albot of Moldova 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Second seed Marco Trungelliti of Argentina and thrid seed Elias Ymer of Sweden were also shown the door, leaving Prajnesh as the highest seed.

There was a lot of cheer in doubles, as Arjun Kadhe and Saketh Myneni pipped the Thai twins, Sanchai and Sonchat, 11-9 in the super tie-break.

SD Prajwal Dev and Niki Poonacha also grabbed one of the quarterfinal spots, and so did third seeds Sriram Balaji and Vishnu Vardhan.

Purav Raja made the quarterfinals as the second seed in partnership with Antonio Sancic of Croatia, but Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan, as the top seed Kevin Krawietz of Germany tumbled out.

In the qualifying event, more than Mukund’s qualification, it was encouraging to find the newly crowned national champion, the wiry Siddharth Vishwakarma win two rounds before losing to Youssef Hossam in a close match.

As noted earlier, Youssef has gone on to dismiss the top seed in the main draw.

The results:
Singles (first round); Youssef Hossam (Egy) bt Radu Albot (Mda) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2; Saketh Myneni bt Adil Kalyanpur 6-3, 7-6(3); James Ward (GBR) bt Tsung-Hua Yang (Tpe) 7-6(40, 6-4; Sumit Nagal bt Jay Clarke (GBR) 6-4, 7-5; Daniel Masur (Ger) bt Elias Ymer (Swe) 6-4, 7-5; Frederico Ferreira Silva (Por) bt Danilo Petrovic (Srb) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; Aleksandr Nedovyesov (Kaz) bt Scott Griekspoor (Ned) 6-3, 6-2; Marc Polmans (Aus) bt Maverick Banes (Aus) 1-6, 6-4, 6-2; Blaz Kavcic (Slo) bt Filip Peliwo (Can) 6-2, 6-0; Sasikumar Mukund bt Collin Altamirano (US) 7-6(6), 6-3; Sebastian Fanselow (Ger) bt Zsombor Piros (Hun) 7-6(3), 6-4; Prajnesh Gunneswaran bt Ivan Nedelko (Rus) 6-2, 6-2; Quentin Halys (Fra) bt Suraj Prabodh 6-3, 6-1; Brayden Schnur (Can) bt Max Purcell (Aus) 6-4, 7-6(3); Zizou Bergs (Bel) bt Kevin Krawietz (Ger) 6-1, 6-2; Cem Ilkel (Tur) bt Marco Trungellitti (Arg) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(3).

Doubles (pre-quarterfinals):Andrej Martin (Svk) & Hans Podlipnik-Castillo (Chi) bt Kevin Krawietz (Ger) & Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan 6-3, 3-6, 10-7; Cheng-Peng Hsieh & Tsung-Hua Yang bt Aleksandr Nedevyesov 9Kaz) & Marco Trungelliti (Arg) 6-1, 3-6, 10-3; Sriram Balaji & Vishnu Vardhan bt Brayden Schnur (Can) & Sumit Nagal 6-4, 6-3; Max Purcell & Luke Saville (Aus) bt Chandril Sood & Lakshit Sood 6-2, 6-2; SD Prajwal Dev & Niki Poonacha bt Alexander Pavlioutchenkov (Rus) & Filip Peliwo (Can) 1-6, 7-6(3), 10-2; Arjun Kadhe & Saketh Myneni bt Sanchai Ratiwatana & Sonchat Ratiwatana 6-3, 3-6, 11-9; Blaz Kavcic (Slo) & Tristan-Samuel Weissborn (Aut) bt Radu Albot (Mda) & Marc Polmans (Aus) 6-4, 7-5; Antonio Sancic (Cro) & Purav Raja bt Romain Arneodo (Mon) & Quentin Halys (Fra) 6-4, 6-7(6), 11-9.

Qualifying singles (third and final round): Youssef Hossam (Egy) bt Siddharth Vishwakarma 6-4, 6-4; Sebastian Fanselow (Ger) bt Khumoyun Sultanov (Uzb) 5-7, 6-4, 6-1; Sasi Kumar Mukund bt Mick Lescure (Fra) 6-1, 6-1; Zsombor Piros (Hun) bt Zizou Bergs (Bel) 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-3.

Second round: Youssef Hossam bt Nicola Kuhn (Esp) 6-2, 7-6(4); Siddharth Vishwakarma bt Antoine Escoffier (Fra) 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-3; Khumoyun Sultanov bt VM Ranjeet 6-4, 6-1; Sebastian Fanselow bt Benjamin Hassan (Ger) 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4; Mick Lescure bt Jurabek Karimov (Uzb) 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-6(5); Sasi Kumar Mukund bt Lucas Gerch (Ger) 6-1, 6-4; Axombor Piros (Hun) bt Luke Saville 3-6, 7-6(3), 7-5; Zizou Bergs (Bel) bt Aryan Goveas 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

First round: Nicola Kuhn bt Ben Patael (Isr) 6-3, 7-6(6); Youssef Hossam bt SD Prajwal Dev 7-6(3), 6-3; Siddharth Vishwakarma bt Chien-Hsun Lo (Tpe) 6-2, 2-6, 7-5; Antoine Escoffier bt Miliaan NIesten (Ned) 6-2, 3-6, 6-4; Khumoyun Sultanov bt LIam Broady (GBR) 6-3, 7-5; VM Ranjeet bt Niki Poonacha 7-5, 6-3; Sebastian Fanselow bt Manish Sureshkumar 6-1, 6-2; Benjamin Hassan bt Sidharth Rawat 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-3; Mick Lescure bt Arjun Kadhe 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; Jurabek Karimov bt Viktor Durasovic (Nor) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(1); Lucas Gerch bt Nitin Kumar Sinha 6-3, 6-4; Sasi Kumar Mukund bt Michael Zhu (US) 6-2, 6-0; Zsombor Piros (Hun) bt Francesco Vilardo (Ita) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2; Luke Saville (Aus) bt Danylo Kalenchenko (Ukr) 6-4, 6-4; Aryan Goveas bt Karunuday Singh 6-3, 6-7(4), 4-1 (retired); Zizou Bergs bt Vasisht Cheruku 6-4, 6-3.