Bengaluru Open | Martinez shades Martineau in a see-saw semifinal

Prime seed Pedro Martinez gained a part-nervy, part-easy going encounter in opposition to Matteo Martineau 7-6(4), 6-1 to enter the singles last of the Dafa Information Bengaluru Open ATP Challenger 125 on the S.M. Krishna Stadium right here on Friday.

In Saturday’s summit conflict, the World No. 96 will meet the sixth seed from Kazakhstan Timofey Skatov, who overcame France’s Harold Mayot 6-4, 6-3.”

Martinez and Martineau have been concerned in a topsy-turvy first set. It was the latter who drew first blood, breaking to 4-2 with a wonderful cross-court cross. However Martinez returned the favour within the very subsequent sport, bringing it again on serve with a cross-court backhand cross of his personal.

At 3-4, Martinez’s serve got here beneath strain once more, and he needed to save a break-point from being 40-15 up. Within the eleventh sport, it was the flip of Martineau’s serve to wobble, and the Frenchman needed to dig deep to avoid wasting two break-points to remain forward 6-5.

That, nevertheless, was the final time the competition was a see-saw. Martinez, who was ranked as excessive as 36 in early 2025 and had wins over the likes of Holger Rune and Stan Wawrinka final season, lifted his stage considerably.

Spain’s Pedro Martínez performs a shot in opposition to France’s Matteo Martineau, on the Bengaluru Open 2026 ATP Challenger Tour, in Bengaluru on January 09, 2026.
| Photograph Credit score:
Okay. MURALI KUMAR

He held simply to necessitate a tie-break, and as soon as there, took it to 4 factors. And inside a blink of an eye fixed, the Spaniard registered successive breaks within the second stanza – to 2-0 and 4-0.

He was significantly spectacular in the way in which he transitioned to the forecourt throughout rallies, enabling him to kill many a degree on the web.

The photographs he executed to carry to 3-0 (down-the-line forehand on the run) and break to 4-0 (looping backhand down the road) showcased his all-round prowess. The successful maintain got here to fifteen as he sealed his spot within the last with a scientific drop volley.

The outcomes (semifinals): Pedro Martinez (Esp) bt Matteo Martineau (Fra) 7-6(4), 6-1, Timofey Skatov (Kaz) bt Harold Mayot (Fra) 6-4, 6-3.

Doubles: Arthur Reymond & Luca Sanchez (Fra) bt Sriram Balaji & Neil Oberleitner (Aut) 7-6(4), 7-6(3); Nicolas Barrientos (Col) & Benjamin Kittay (USA) bt Max Houkes & Niels Visker (Ned) 7-6(6), 6-3.