Niki Poonacha Upsets Top Seed Sumit Nagal at ATP Challenger 100
Wildcard entrant Niki Poonacha achieved a stunning victory over top seed Sumit Nagal, advancing to the quarterfinals of the Maharashtra Open ATP Challenger 100 tournament at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune on Thursday. Poonacha rallied back from a deficit to triumph over Nagal with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-3.
Despite Nagal initially taking the lead, Poonacha showcased resilience and determination, ultimately seizing the win, marking his inaugural quarterfinal appearance. Eyeing further success, Poonacha is set to face Australia’s seventh-seeded Dave Sweeny in the quarterfinal clash.
In men’s doubles, Indian pairs continued their stellar performance, with Arjun Kadhe and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan securing a spot in the semifinals after defeating their German counterparts 6-4, 7-6. Additionally, the dynamic duo of Ramkumar Ramanathan and Saketh Myneni extended their remarkable winning streak, advancing to the next stage with a hard-fought 6-2, 6-7(4), 10-2 victory over the formidable Italian pair of Ajdukovic and Dalla Valle.
Ramkumar Ramanathan faced a tough defeat 6-4, 6-4 against Russia’s Alexey Zakharov, while Ajdukovic triumphed over USA’s Tristan Boyer 6-1, 6-1, setting the stage for the second quarterfinal show.
The extraordinary performance by Niki Poonacha and the continued success of Indian pairs in the men’s doubles category have captivated fans and set the stage for an exciting conclusion to the Maharashtra Open ATP Challenger 100 tournament.
