Saketh-Ramkumar, PrajwalNiki enter doubles QFs

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The Indian pair of Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan beat compatriots Yuki Bhambri and Divij Sharan in straight sets to advance to the quarterfinals of the Bengaluru Open 2 ATP Challenger on Wednesday.

Saketh and Ramkumar, who had won the doubles title at the Bengaluru Open 1 last week, saw off Yuki and Divij 6-1, 7-5 in the round of 16 at the KSLTA Courts.

Wild card entrants SD Prajwal Dev and Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha also brought cheers to the Indian camp when they overcame the better-ranked Canadian-Japanese combination of Steven Diez and Rio Noguchi 6-2, 6-4 en route to the quarterfinals.

In men’s singles, top seed Aleksandar Vukic and sixth seed Max Purcell -- both from Australia -- registered contrasting wins to advance to the quarterfinals.

While Vukic brushed aside the challenge of Great Britain’s Jay Clarke 6-1, 6-3, Purcell struggled past his compatriot Marc Polmans with a 7-6 (7), 4-6, 6-2 victory.