Saketh, Sasi Kumar reach Challenger pre-quarters

Saketh Myneni and Sasi Kumar Mukund won their matches in straight sets to reach the pre-quarterfinals of the Challenger tennis tournament in Jerusalem.

Saketh beat Andrea Vavassori of Italy 7-6(4), 6-3 in the second round after a bye in the first (File photo).

Saketh Myneni and Sasi Kumar Mukund won their matches in straight sets to reach the pre-quarterfinals of the $54,160 Challenger tennis tournament in Jerusalem, Israel, on Wednesday.

Saketh beat Andrea Vavassori of Italy 7-6(4), 6-3 in the second round after a bye in the first. Sasi Kumar was more authoritative in his 6-1, 6-4 victory over Gonzalo Escobar of Ecuador, after a bye in the first round.

In the ATP event in France, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Purav Raja were beaten 6-4, 6-1 in the doubles quarterfinals by fourth seeds Luke Bambridge and Jonny O’Mara of Britain.

In the ITF women’s event in Thailand, two-time national champion Mahak Jain was beaten in straight sets by Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand, but Zeel Desai pulled through for 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-0 victory over another Thai Patcharin Cheapchandej.

In another ITF women’s tournament in Turkey, Jennifer Luikham battled for three hours and 36 minutes to beat Victoria Mikhaylova of Russia 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(7) in the first round. Jennifer was in a precarious position but turned the match on its head. In the decider, the Russian was serving for the match at 5-4 but Jennifer fought back to take the set into the tie-break. The eighth seeded Indian did miss two match points at 6-4 in the tie-break, and saved a match point at 6-7, and pulled through courageously.

The results:

€ 586,140 ATP, Geneva, Switzerland

Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Phillipp Oswald (Aut) & Divij Sharan bt Marc-Andrea Huesler (Sui) & Florin Mergea (Rou) 6-4, 6-4.

€ 586,140 ATP, Lyon, France

Doubles (quarterfinals): Luke Bambridge & Jonny O’Mara (GBR) bt Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan & Purav Raja 6-4, 6-1.

$54,160 Challenger, Jerusalem, Israel

Singles (second round):  Saketh Myneni bt Andrea Vavassori (Ita) 7-6(4), 6-3; Sasi Kumar Mukund bt Gonzalo Escobar (Ecu) 6-1, 6-4.

$25,000 ITF men, Nonthaburi, Thailand

Singles (first round): Finn Tearney (Nzl) bt Rishab Agarwal 7-5, 6-3.

$25,000 ITF men, Kampala, Uganda

Singles (first round): Julius Tverijonas (Ltu) bt Dalwinder Singh 7-6(10), 2-6, 6-4; Joao Marcos Nusdeo (Bra) bt Kunal Anand 4-6, 6-2, 6-1; Rishi Reddy bt VM Ranjeeet 4-6, 6-2, 2-1 (retired); Gokul Suresh bt Edward Birungi (Uga) 6-0, 4-0 (retired); Anirudh Chandrasekar bt Ryan James Storrie (GBR) 7-6(3), 1-0 (retired); Simon Carr (Irl) bt Tejas Chaukulkar 6-1, 6-2; SD Prajwal Dev bt Diego Fernandez Flores (Chi) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1; Suraj Prabodh bt Sergey Bolotov (Rus) 7-5, 7-5; Niki Poonacha bt Dhruv Sunish 6-2, 6-0.

Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Anirudh Chandrasekar & Niki Poonacha bt Rishi Reddy & Dhruv Sunish 6-2, 6-4; William Bushamuka (US) & Mehuli Don Ayanda Sibanda (Ziim) bt Dipanshu Garg & Suraj Prabodh 6-1, 6-3;

Kent Tagashira (Jpn) & Tejas Chaukulkar bt Edward Birungi & Frank Tayebwa (Uga) 6-2, 6-3; Julian Bradley (Irl) & Guy Orly Iradukunda (Bdi) bt Muthu Aadhitiya Senthilkumar & VM Ranjeet 6-1, 0-1 (retired).

$25,000 ITF women, Singapore

Singles (first round): Natsja Kolar (Slo) bt Sowjanya Bavisetti 7-6(5), 6-1; Nudnida Luangnam (Tha) bt Mihika Yadav 6-2, 6-2; Riya Bhatia bt Emily Appleton (GBR) 7-6(4), 6-2; Rutuja Bhosale bt Kwan Yau Ng (Hkg) 6-1, 6-1; Haley Giavara (US) bt Ashmitha Easwaramurthi 6-2, 6-0.

$25,000 ITF women, Nonthaburi, Thailand

Singles (first round): Mananchaya Sawangkaew (Tha) bt Mahak Jain 6-1, 7-5; Zeel Desai bt Patcharin Cheapchandej (Tha) 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-0.

Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Ho Ching Wu (Hkg) & Snehal Mane bt Tamachan Momkoonthod & Mananchaya Sawangkaew (Tha) 1-6, 7-5, [10-7].

$15,000 ITF women, Antalya, Turkey

Singles (first round): Jennifer Luikham bt Victoria Mikhaylova (Rus) 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(7).