BENGALURU/STARNBERG, February 10, 2022
The quarterfinals of the Bengaluru Tennis Open are set and will be led by World No. 123 Jiri Vesely from the Czech Republic. The top seed of the $53,120 ATP Challenger Tour 80 hard-court tournament came back from a set down to outlast India’s lone hope in the singles draw Prajnesh Gunneswaran, winning 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 in Thursday’s second-round encounter.
Vesely, who captured his eighth ATP Challenger career trophy on French soil at the Open the Vendée in Mouilleron-Le-Captif earlier this season, struck eight aces and converted five of his 13 break-point chances to seal victory in one hour and 47 minutes.
After losing the first set, top seeded @jiri_vesely of Czech Republic prevailed over @PrajneshGP 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, thus ending the Indian challenge in the mens singles event of the Bengaluru Open ATP Challenger. Watch this space for more action! pic.twitter.com/ggKTqTfBBF
— Bengaluru Tennis Open (@BlrTennisOpen) February 10, 2022
“I think I went wrong somewhere at the end of the second set, as I committed too many mistakes which could have been avoided,” said Gunneswaran.
“I just wanted to be myself and play my natural game. Although his confidence was high after the first set, I don’t know what happened to him, his game just dropped,” Vesely commented on the match.
The 28-year-old lefty will next take on sixth-seeded Frenchman Enzo Couacaud, who quelled the challenge of Australian Open doubles finalist Max Purcell from Australia 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 after two hours and one minute.
In other action, Cem Ilkel of Turkey made a superb comeback to down the big-serving Russian Evgeny Donskov 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 to set up a last eight showdown with Alexandre Muller of France, a 7-6(4), 6-4 winner over Bulgarian Dimitar Kuzmanov in a match that lasted for three hours.
In a battles of long rallies, Frenchman @Alex2Mumu defeated Bulgaria’s @KuzmanovD 7-6, 6-4 in a 3 hour long match and fought his way into the mens singles quarterfinals of the Bengaluru Open ATP Challenger. Stay tuned for more action! pic.twitter.com/eisXJ7wZ6o
— Bengaluru Tennis Open (@BlrTennisOpen) February 10, 2022
Thursday Results
Singles – Second Round
Cem Ilkel (TUR) bt Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5; Alexandre Muller (FRA) bt Dimitar Kuzmanov (BUL) 7-6 (4), 6-4; 1-Jiri Vesely (CZE) bt Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1; Enzo Couacaud (FRA) bt Max Purcell (AUS) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
Doubles – Quarterfinals
2-Alexander Erler (AUT)/Vit Kopriva (CZE) bt WC-Yuki Bhambri (IND)/Divij Sharan (IND) 6-4, 6-3; 3-Saketh Myneni (IND)/Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND) W/O Steven Diez (CAN)/Malek Jaziri (TUN); Jay Clarke (GBR)/Marc Polmans (AUS) bt 1-Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan (IND)/Purav Raja (IND) 6-2, 6-1; Hugo Grenier (FRA)/Alexandre Muller (FRA) bt 4-N Sriram Balaji (IND)/Vishnu Vardhan (IND) 6-4, 6-7 (2), 10-4.
