Bengaluru, May 21 (IANS) The Indian challenge in the men’s singles section of the SM Krishna Memorial Open Tennis Championship came to an end, with Mukund Sasikumar going down to second seed Alastair Gray of Great Britain in a quarterfinal battle that stretched two hours and 40 minutes at the SM Krishna Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Mukund Sasikumar, the 29-year-old from Chennai who is ranked 536 in the world, produced a stirring fight and pushed the higher-ranked Gray (World No. 287) to the brink before eventually falling 2-6, 7-5, 7-6(3) in the most gripping match of the tournament.

In another quarterfinal, former World No. 40 Ilya Ivashka continued his dominant run, brushing aside Alex Hernandez of Mexico 6-1, 6-2 in just 72 minutes to storm into the semifinals, while third seed Hamish Stewart of Great Britain was equally clinical, requiring only 57 minutes to dismantle sixth seed Ognjen Milic of Serbia 6-2, 6-1. Fourth seed Petr Bar Biryukov overcame Malaysia’s Mitsuki Wei Kang Leong 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 to complete the semifinal lineup.

Heavy rains disrupted the doubles quarterfinals, with only one match being completed while two others were in progress.

Mukund Sasikumar’s performance was marked by resilience and fearless shot-making, as he fired 14 aces—five more than Gray—and committed fewer double faults despite facing sustained pressure. The Indian repeatedly clawed his way back into the contest and was within touching distance of a semifinal berth.

Gray raced ahead early, capitalising on three breaks of serve in the opening set to pocket it 6-2 despite Mukund breaking in the second game. The Briton appeared in control, using his superior ranking and consistency to dictate proceedings.

However, Mukund raised his level dramatically in the second set. After earning a break in the fourth game, the Indian looked poised to force a decider before Gray broke back in the ninth. With the set hanging in balance at 5-5, Mukund held firm and then struck decisively in the 12th game, breaking Gray to claim the set 7-5 and ignite hopes among the home crowd.

The deciding set turned into a rollercoaster. Gray secured a crucial break in the ninth game and appeared set to close out the contest. But Mukund showcased a remarkable fighting spirit, saving a match point before breaking back in the 10th game. Riding the momentum, the Indian then held serve at love in the 11th to push the pressure back on Gray. With neither player giving an inch, the contest headed into a tiebreak.

The Briton seized control immediately, opening with an early mini-break and maintaining his advantage to seal the match and deny Mukund what would have been one of the memorable semifinal appearances of his career.

Results (Prefix indicated seeding):

Men’s singles (quarterfinals)

2-Alastair Gray (GBR) bt Mukund Sasikumar (IND) 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (3); Ilya Ivashka bt Alex Hernandez (MEX) 6-1, 6-2; 3-Hamish Stewart (GBR) bt 6-Ognjen Milic (SRB) 6-2, 6-1; 4-Petr Bar Biryukov bt Mitsuki Wei Kang Leong (MAS) 6-2, 5-7, 6-3

Semifinal line-up:

Ilya Ivashka vs. 3-Hamish Stewart (GBR)

4-Petr Bar Biryukov Vs. 2-Alastair Gray (GBR).

–IANS

bsk/