Displaying his class: Dhamne was in prime type.
| Photograph Credit score: SUDHAKARA JAIN
Extremely rated teenager Manas Dhamne registered his first win over a top-250 participant when he beat Croatia’s Matej Dodig 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 within the opening spherical of the Dafa Information Bengaluru Open ATP Challenger 125 on the S.M. Krishna Stadium right here on Monday.
The victory over the World No. 231 was solely Dhamne’s second match-win on the Challenger Tour, the sooner one coming in June 2025 in Brasov, Romania. So necessary was the success that the second Dodig’s return sailed lengthy on match-point, the 18-year-old World No. 556 reached for his telephone, and an Instagram submit of him fist pumping went up very quickly.
On court docket, Dhamne exhibited the identical youthful exuberance. He served properly – successful 78% on the first-serve and 63% on the second – drove his backhand powerfully and was stable from the forehand wing.
Dodig, 20 and the fifth seed right here, had two inches on Dhamne (6’2” to six’0”) and planted 12 aces to his opponent’s three, however some erratic play within the twelfth sport value him the primary set. He hit two aces and a service winner but additionally three double-faults, earlier than Dhamne took it 7-5 when a groundstroke went broad.
Within the second stanza, the Croat stabilised, broke to 3-2 and held on for a 6-4 scoreline to stage issues.
It was, nevertheless, creditable that Dhamne didn’t really feel unsettled regardless of enjoying somebody who had 39 extra match-wins.
The Indian broke within the fourth and sixth video games of the decider, capitalising on a sequence of unforced errors. The set lasted simply over half an hour, in comparison with the 2 almost 50-minute affairs that preceded it. And that advised the story. “Greater than the win, I’m pleased for the opposite issues, like the way in which I performed,” Dhamne mentioned. “I’ve to enhance, however really feel I’m heading in the right direction.”
Third seed Jay Clarke and fourth seed Lloyd Harris had been knocked out.
Different outcomes: First spherical: Sumit Nagal bt S.D. Prajwal Dev 6-3, 6-3; Harold Mayot (Fra) bt Petr Bar Biryukov (Rus) 6-1, 6-4; Matteo Martineau bt Jay Clarke 4-6, 6-1, 6-2; Jonas Forejtek (Cze) bt Lloyd Harris (RSA) 7-6(5), 6-4; Timofey Skatov (Kaz) bt Neil Oberleitner (Aut) 6-3, 6-3; Dan Martin (Can) bt Vladyslav Orlov (Ukr) 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-4.
Qualifying remaining spherical: Alexis Gautier (Fra) bt Sidharth Rawat 6-4, 6-4.
Printed – January 05, 2026 11:37 pm IST
