BENGALURU/STARNBERG, February 14, 2022

Main draw action at the Bengaluru Open 2 got underway at the KSLTA Courts on Monday led by Aleksandar Vukic, top seed of the $53,120 ATP Challenger Tour hard-court tournament. The 28-year-old from Australia began his title bid with a 6-4, 6-2 first-round victory over local hero Prajnesh Gunneswaran.

Although the match seemed to go on an even note, Vukic achieved a crucial break in the third game which eventually helped the Australian call the shots and walk away with the first set. Vukic, who is sitting on a career-high ranking of World No. 135, 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.

The Sydney native closed out the match with a superb down the line winner after one hour and seven minutes. Up next for Vukic will be the winner of the encounter between Briton Jay Clarke and Australian qualifier Andrew Harris.

Dimitar Kuzmanov of Bulgaria caused the upset of the day when he ousted second-seeded Frenchman Hugo Grenier in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. After an early break in the second game, 28-year-old Kuzmanov dominated the proceedings.

However, Grenier showed signs of 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 for Kuzmanov’s win.

The World No. 2019 secured victory in one hour and 23 minutes and will next play either Elliot Benchetrit of Morocco or Frenchman Alexander Muller.

As Day 1 of the the Bengaluru Open 2 ATP Challenger come to a close, here’s a look at what’s coming up tomorrow! #KSLTA #ATP #BlrOpen2022 #tennis #tenniskarnataka #challengertour pic.twitter.com/5VM3TcfPFR

— Bengaluru Tennis Open (@BlrTennisOpen) February 14, 2022

Monday Results

Singles – First Round

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)

Singles – 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.