In the Chennai Open Challenger ATP Tennis today, three Indian players led by Prajnesh Gunneswaran powered their way into the third round.
In the match between top seed Prajnesh and Daniel Altmaier of Germany, the Indian sitar player won the first set 6-4.
In the second set, when Daniel looked perturbed, Prajnesh took the opportunity to play consistently and forcefully to break him in the very first game. He then held the service throughout the set comfortably winning the set 6-4 and the match.
In the second match, eleventh seeded Saketh Myneni faced a tough fight from compatriot Vijay Sundar Prashanth. Saket, however, won 6-4, 5-3.
In another match on the show court, Arjun Khade delivered seven aces to register an upset win over 13th seed Jose Hernandez-Fernandes of the Dominican Republic in two relatively easy sets.
Arjun started the match with an ace and kept up the momentum to win the first set 6-3.
The second set was almost a repeat of the first, and Arjun went on to win the set 6-2.
Four Indians will be in the fray in the singles event tomorrow. Top seed Prajnesh Gunneswaran will take on compatriot Arjun Kadhe, 11th seeded Saketh Myneni will face Alejandro Daviddovich Fokina of Spain and Sasikumar Mukund will clash against 3rd seeded Mohamed Safwat of Egypt.
Meanwhile, on Court 1 today, the match for second seed Corentin Moutet of France was stretched for over two and a half hours by Luke Saville of Australia before Corentin won 6-2, 6-7(1), 6-4.
In another match, seventh seed James Duckworth from Australia edged out Ivan Gakhov of Russia 7-6(2), 7-5. Brydan Klein of Great Britain continued his winning lead to upset the 12th seed Maverick Banes of Australia in straight sets.