PUNE, February 7, 2020
Jiri Vesely from the Czech Republic stormed into the semi-finals at the third edition of Tata Open Maharashtra with a three-set victory against Ilya Ivashka of Belarus at the Mhalunge Balewadi Stadium in Pune on Friday.
Twenty-six year-old Vesely, despite losing the first set 6-2, made an unlikely comeback to win the second set 6-1. The third set saw both the players giving tough fight which went to the decider. However, the former World No. 35 Vesely, who upset World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the Monte Carlo Masters in 2016, managed to hold the edge over his opposition to complete a comeback win 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (13-11) after two hours and 29 minutes.
“It was a very close match. I think I was definitely lucky. I felt he deserved it more than I do at the end of the match. We both were very nervous,” Vesely told media representatives after the match.
In another hard-fought quarterfinals match in India’s premier ATP 250 event, which is organised by Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) in association with Government of Maharashtra, second seed Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania recovered well after the first set setback to register 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 victory against Japan’s Yuichi Sugita in two hours and 16 minutes.
📹 | Ricardas Berankis pulled off a sensational win against Yuichi Sugita. Watch the highlights. #TOM2020 #AdvantagePune #ATPTour #TataOpenMaharashtra @berankisr pic.twitter.com/q2Wpd4cMnF
— Tata Open Maharashtra (@MaharashtraOpen) February 7, 2020
No. 8 seed Egor Gerasimov of Belarus fought past fourth favourite Soonwoo Kwón from South Korea 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4 in two hours and 21 minutes to face No. 6 seed James Duckworth. The 28-year-old Australian defeated Italian qualifier Roberto Marcora 6-3, 7-6(4) in one hour and 28 minutes.
