Maha Open ATP Challenger: Ivashka stuns top seed Gomez; Shimizu, Gray, Ajdukovic advance

Pune: Former top-50-ranked player Ilya Ivashka pulled off the upset of the day, knocking out top seed Federico Agustin Gomez in a thrilling three-set battle in the opening round of the Maha Open ATP Challenger 75 Men’s Tennis Championship at the Mhalunge Balewadi Tennis Stadium at the Shiv Chhatrapati Kreeda Sankul in Pune on Monday. 

The tournament is organised by Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) in association with the Department of Sports and Youth Services, Govt of Maharashtra, PCMC, PMC, and PMDTA, and sponsored by Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (PMRDA).

Ivashka dominated the opening set 6-1 before Gomez roared back to take the second by the same score line. The decider went down to an intense tie-breaker, where Ivashka held his nerve to seal a 6-1, 1-6, 7-6(7) victory in a match lasting 2 hours and 25 minutes, booking his place in the second round.

Japan’s Yuta Shimizu produced a clinical performance to defeat Italy’s Lorenzo Carboni 6-4, 6-4 in straight sets. Britain’s Alastair Gray battled past Poland’s Daniel Michalski 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in a hard-fought contest. Croatia’s Duje Ajdukovic also advanced comfortably with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Korea’s Shin San-hui.

It was not a great outing for the two Indian qualifiers as Takuya Kumasaka of Japan defeated S.D. Prajwal Dev 6-4, 6-2, while Chinese Taipei’s Tung-Lin Wu enjoyed a 7-5, 6-4 win over Digvijaypratap Singh in the final round of qualifying matches.

Japan’s Maks Kasnikowski, Masamichi Imamura, Yusuke Takahashi, and Malaysian Mitsuki Wei Kang Leong were the other qualifiers. With several closely contested matches and a major upset on the opening day, the ATP Challenger 75 event promises more high-quality action in the days ahead as players vie for crucial ranking points and the coveted title in Pune. IANS

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