News

Top seed Keegan Smith of the US capped off a dominant week by defeating fourth seed Philip Sekulic 6-2, 7-5 to lift the men’s singles title, while the Indian duo of Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha and Saketh Myneni claimed the men’s doubles crown with a convincing 6-2, 6-3 victory over Petr Bar Biryukov and Grigoriy Lomakin in the Karnataka Open at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium here on Saturday.

The singles final began with an early twist as Smith dropped serve in the third game, handing Sekulic an advantage. However, the American responded immediately, breaking back in the fourth game before asserting complete control over the opening set with further breaks in the sixth and eighth games to wrap it up 6-2.

The second set proved far more competitive, with both players holding serve through the opening six games. Sekulic struck first, earning a crucial break in the seventh game, only to surrender his advantage immediately as Smith broke back in the very next game. The Australian showed resilience when facing championship point in the tenth game, holding serve to extend the contest. But Smith’s consistency from the baseline and ability to capitalise on key moments eventually proved decisive as he broke again in the 12th game to seal the match and the title in straight sets.

The title earned Smith USD 9,500 and 50 ATP ranking points, while runner-up Sekulic collected USD 5,500 and 25 ATP points.

In the doubles final, Indian hopes were carried emphatically by Poonacha and Myneni, who displayed excellent chemistry and aggressive returning throughout the encounter. The pair secured the decisive breakthrough in the sixth game of the opening set and added another break in the eighth to pocket the set 6-2.

The second set remained evenly poised until the eighth game, when the Indian duo produced another timely break that opened the door to victory. Serving with confidence, they closed out the contest 6-3 to claim the title before the home crowd.

For their triumph, Poonacha and Myneni received USD 2,980 and 50 ATP points, while finalists Biryukov and Lomakin earned USD 1,740 and 30 ATP points.

With the curtains falling on this week’s event, attention now shifts immediately to the SM Krishna Open Memorial, which begins tomorrow with the opening round of qualifying matches, ushering in another week of international tennis action in Bengaluru.

Results - All Finals (Prefix denoted seeding)

Men’s Singles

1-Keegan Smith (USA) bt 4-Philip Sekulic (AUS) 6-2, 7-5

Men’s Doubles

Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha (IND) / Saketh Myneni (IND) bt Petr Bar Biryukov / Grigoriy Lomakin (KAZ) 6-2, 6-3.