Aryan Shah Shines at SM Krishna Memorial Open Despite Quarterfinal Exit
Aryan Shah's Journey at the SM Krishna Memorial Open
Bengaluru (Karnataka), April 6: Aryan Shah, a promising young talent from India, showcased his skills at the SM Krishna Memorial Open held in Bengaluru. He made an impressive run to the quarterfinals before being defeated by the second seed, Oliver Crawford.
In addition to his singles performance, Shah partnered with Karan Singh in the doubles event, reaching the semifinals where they faced a tough challenge from Nick Chappell of the USA and Kazakhstan's Grigoriy Lomakin.
The 19-year-old from Ahmedabad is quickly becoming a notable figure in the Indian junior tennis scene.
Shah, seeded sixth, concluded his singles journey with a 6-3, 6-0 defeat against Crawford, marking his fourth consecutive loss to the English player.
Reflecting on his performance, Shah stated, “I’m struggling to get past him. I can’t pinpoint why. Just because I’ve lost to someone doesn’t mean I can’t beat them again; I’ve done it before.”
He ruled out fatigue as a contributing factor, asserting, “As an athlete, I should manage these challenges.” He analyzed Crawford’s playing style, noting, “I find it hard to read his game, and he seems to thrive against mine. He plays confidently against me, and my shots often fall into his hitting zone, making him comfortable.”
Despite his early exit in Bengaluru, Shah entered the tournament with high spirits, having recently ended Jay Clarke’s 14-match winning streak to clinch the ITF M25 Ahmedabad Open, marking his second professional singles title and his first at the M25 level.
This victory also secured him a spot in the ATP Next Gen Accelerator program, which provides main draw entries in eight ATP Challenger events within the 50 and 75 categories.
Looking forward, Shah remains determined yet pragmatic. “I haven’t mapped out my schedule extensively. It’s just my coach, my dad, and I discussing finances. Without sponsorship, I can’t freely book flights and enter tournaments. I have to weigh everything: finances, physical readiness, and preparation,” he explained.
Currently, he is planning to participate in a Challenger event in the Ivory Coast later this month.
“To be honest, I’m very ambitious,” he confessed. “By the end of the year, achieving a ranking between 250-300 would be fantastic.” He elaborated on what it would take to reach that goal, saying, “I need to enhance my physical strength, speed, and agility. My game needs to be more robust and consistent. My performance has been inconsistent.”
Shah is also conscious of the competitive landscape. “Many players compete in around 30 tournaments a year and achieve their ranking goals. I’m participating in maybe 18 or 19. While it’s not impossible, it’s certainly more challenging than for others. My success will depend on how well I perform in these fewer tournaments.”