Manas Dhamne Shines at Maha Open ATP Challenger 75 Tennis Championship
Local Star Manas Dhamne Advances in Tournament
Manas Dhamne, a local favorite, showcased his exceptional skills at the Maha Open ATP Challenger 75 Men's Tennis Championship, reaching the Men's Singles quarterfinals held at the Shiv Chhatrapati Kreeda Sankul, Mhalunge Balewadi Tennis Stadium on Wednesday. Other notable players advancing from the top half include unseeded Duje Ajdukovic from Croatia, Alastair Gray from Great Britain, and sixth-seeded Federico Cina from Italy.
Tournament Overview
This event is organized by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) in collaboration with the Department of Sports and Youth Services, Government of Maharashtra, along with PCMC, PMC, and PMDTA, and is sponsored by the Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (PMRDA).
Men's Singles Highlights
In a thrilling match, Indian wildcard Manas Dhamne delighted the home crowd by defeating former top-50 player Ilya Ivashka, who retired while trailing 3-6 due to injury. Dhamne displayed confidence and precision, dominating the backcourt before Ivashka's withdrawal. He is set to face Croatia's Duje Ajdukovic in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Duje Ajdukovic, unseeded, delivered a commanding performance, defeating fifth seed Frederico Ferreira Silva of Portugal with a score of 6-2, 6-2. Ajdukovic maintained control throughout the match, breaking serve early in both sets.
Alastair Gray from Britain produced one of the tournament's most exciting comebacks, overcoming third seed Ilia Simakin after losing the first set. Gray won 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-5 in a match lasting 2 hours and 50 minutes, showcasing his resilience and skill.
Sixth seed Federico Cina of Italy continued his strong performance, defeating Japan's Yuta Shimizu with a score of 6-1, 6-4. Cina's aggressive play and sharp serving allowed him to secure the match in just over an hour.
Doubles First Round Results
In the doubles first round, the top-seeded duo of Siddhant Banthia (India) and Alexander Donski (Bulgaria) faced a tough challenge in the first set but ultimately triumphed over Luca Castelnuovo (Switzerland) and Uisung Park (Korea) with a score of 7-6(5), 6-2. After a closely contested tie-break, they dominated the second set.
Indian wildcards Saketh Myneni and Digvijaypratap Singh also impressed, winning decisively against Japan's Masamichi Imamura and Kokoro Isomura with a score of 6-3, 6-3, demonstrating excellent teamwork and net play.
Jay Clarke (Great Britain) and Michael Geerts (Belgium) achieved a solid victory, defeating the Japanese pair Takuya Kumasaka and Rio Noguchi 6-3, 6-4.
In another closely fought match, Ryuki Matsuda (Japan) and Ilia Simakin edged past Aryan Lakshmanan (India) and Mitsuki Wei Kang Leong (Malaysia) with a score of 7-6(3), 7-5, showcasing crucial mini-breaks and pressure points.
Looking Ahead
As the quarterfinals approach, anticipation builds for the upcoming matches, including the participation of India's No. 1 player, Sumit Nagal, who will compete on Thursday at 2 PM.