KPIT-MSLTA Challenger: Prajnesh Gunneswaran crashes out in pre-quarters

The top seed and India’s No. 1 singles player bows out with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 defeat to Tim Van Rijthoven of Netherlands.

Tim Van Rijthoven (in picture) made a surprise entry into the quarterfinals. Photo: Special Arrangement

Tim Van Rijthoven of Netherlands shocked the top seed — India’s Prajnesh Gunneswaran — to advance to the quarterfinals of the KPIT-MSLTA Challenger Series at the MSLTA School of Tennis courts in the Balewadi Sports Complex here.

The 22-year-old from Roosendaal, ranked 324, needed two hours and 10 minutes to defeat the World No. 95 Prajnesh in three sets — 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. The Indians to advance into the quarterfinals were Davis Cuppers Sumit Nagal, Ramkumar Ramanathan and Sasi Kumar Mukund.

Read | Pune Challenger: Five Indians make pre-quarterfinals

Mukund will take on the second-seeded James Duckworth, who ended the fabulous run of upcoming Manish Sureshkumar 6-1, 6-2. The 20-year-old Indian will earn seven ATP points which will ensure a good start next year.

Kadhe, Myneni into semis

The Indian flag in the doubles continued to fly high with Arjun Kadhe and Saketh Myneni scraping past the Russian duo of Bogdan Bobrov and Ivan Nedelko 6-4, 4-6, 16-14 to move into the semifinals. The two Indians had lost early in the singles, so have a chance to make amends.

The Japanese-Indian combination of Toshide Matsui and Vishnu Vardhan recovered from a set loss to beat Steven Diez of Canada and Roberto Ortega-Olmedo of Spain 3-6, 6-2, 10-4.

• The results (pre-quarterfinals) : Tim Van Rijthoven (Ned) bt Prajnesh Gunneswaran 4-6, 7-5, 6-3; Roberto Ortega-Olmedo (Spn) bt Shuichi Sekiguchi (Jpn) 6-2, 6-4; Steven Diez (Can) bt Brydan Klein (Gbr) 6-0, 6-2; Jay Clarke (Gbr) bt Duckhee Lee (Kor) 6-1, 6-4; Ramkumar Ramanathan bt Cem Ilkel (Tur) 6-3, 6-4; Sumit Nagal bt Ivan Nedelko (Rus) 2-0 (retd); Sasikumar Mukund bt Ergi. Kirkin (Tur) 6-0, 6-2; James Duckworth (Aus) bt Manish Sureshkumar 6-1, 6-2.
• Doubles (quarterfinals) : Arjun Kadhe & Saketh Myneni bt Bogdan Bobrov & Ivan Nedelko (Rus) 6-4, 4-6 ,16-14; Toshide Matsui (Jpn) & Vishnu Vardhan bt Steven Diez (Can) & Roberto Ortega Olmedo (Esp) 3-6, 6-2, 10-4.