HELSINKI (FINLAND) : Fourth seeded Indian pair of Purav Raja and Divij Sharan beat the Russian pair of Alibek Kachmazov and Pavel Kotov 6-3 6-2 in the doubles semi-final in the € 67,960 HPP Open ATP Challenger in Helsinki (Finland) on Friday.
The Indian pair started their semi-final campaign by breating their rivals in the first game of the first set to take a 1-0 lead. However, Alibek and Pavel broke back in the second game of the set to make it 1-1.
Raja and Sharan got the vital break in the ninth game to clinch the set at 6-3 in 30 minutes.
In the second set the Indian pair raced to a 3-0 lead after breaking their opponents in the second game of the second set. They got another break in the eighth game to win the set at 6-2 in 37 minutes and earned berth in the final.
In the second doubles semi-final, Reese Stalder (USA) and Petros Tsitsipas (Greece) toppled the top seeds Austrian pair of Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler 3-6 6-4 10-3. The tough match lasted one hour and 15 minutes.
PRAJNESH MOVES UP: Prajnesh Gunneswaran of India rallied to beat Sebastian Fanselow of Germany 3-6 6-2 7-5 in the singles second round of the $ 53,120 Paine Schwartz Partners Challenger in USA.
In the doubles quarrter-final, Indian pair of N.Sriram Balaji and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan prevailed over Anirudh Chandrasekar of India and Adam Walton of Australia 7-6 (8) 2-6 10-4.
RAMKUMAR LOSES: Seventh seed Yosuke Watanuki of Japan ousted Indian Ramkumar Ramanathan 7-5 6-1 in the singles quarter-final match in the $63,120 Hyogo Noah Challenger in Kobe (Japan).