Bengaluru: Prajnesh Gunneswaran, India’s main hope in singles, came up with an error-filled performance to lose to top seed Aleksandar Vukic in the first round of the Bengaluru Open 2 ATP Challenger event here on Monday.
Prajnesh went down rather tamely 4-6, 2-6 in the Round of 32 match at the KSLTA Courts here.
Dimitar Kuzmanov of Bulgaria caused the biggest upset of the day when he ousted second seed Frenchman Hugo Grenier in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the pre-quarterfinals. Also advancing to the next round was Pune’s Arjun Kadhe, who brushed aside the challenge of compatriot Adil Kalyanpur 6-2, 6-2.
Although the match between Vukic and Prajnesh seemed to be going on an even note, the 25-year-old Australian achieved a crucial break in the third game which eventually helped him to win the first set.
Vukic, who achieved his career-best ranking of 135 here in Bengaluru, raced to a 2-0 lead after a break in the very first game and repeated the feat in the fifth game for a decisive 4-1 lead. He closed out the match with a superb down-the-line winner.
In another interesting match of the day, after an early break in the second game, 28-year-old Dimitar dominated the proceedings.
However, Grenier showed signs of a comeback with a break in the seventh game to narrow the lead to 3-4 but lost his serve again in the 10th to lose the set. The games went with the serves in the second set, each of them fiercely contested with longer rallies. A double fault in the sixth game followed by another unforced error cost Grenier his serve, which paved the way f’r Dimitar’s win.
Earlier in the day, Nitin Kumar Sinha toiled his way into the main draw by ousting third seed Rio Noguchi of Japan 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 in the final qualifying round. Joining him was the top seed in qualifiers Mukund Sasikiran who was stretched by fellow Indian Manish Suresh Kumar before prevailing 7-5, 1-6, 6-3.
With Prajnesh’s exit, a total of five Indians are in the fray in the main draw.
Results:
Round of 32: WC-Arjun Kadhe (IND) bt WC-Adil Kalyanpur (IND) 6-2, 6-2; 1-Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) bt Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND) 6-4, 6-2; Dimitar Kuzmanov (BUL) bt 2-Hugo Grenier (FRA) 6-4, 6-3; Mark Polmans (AUS) bt Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) 6-3, 7-6 (7); 6-Max Purcell (AUS) bt Jason Kubler (AUS) 5-7, 6-3, 6-0; Kimmer Coppejans (BEL) vs Steven Diez (CAN)
Final Qualifying Round: 1-Mukund Sasikumar (IND) bt Manish Sureshkumar (IND) 7-5, 1-6, 6-3; Nitin Kumar Sinha (IND) bt 3-Rio Noguchi (JPN) 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1; 2-Andrew Harris (AUS) bt WC-Digvijaypratap Singh (IND) 6-4, 7-5; Dominik Palan (CZE) bt 4-Bogdan Bobrov (RUS) 6-0, 6-1; Markos Kalovelonis (GRE) bt N Sriram Balaji (IND) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4; 7-Antoine Bellier (SUI) bt 6-V Vladyslav Orlov (UKR) 6-1, 6-4.
–IANS