Indian tennis talent lit up the courts at the Altevol Sports Academy in Ahmedabad on Friday as Aryan Shah pulled off a thrilling upset against third seed Alexandr Binda of Italy to book his place in the semifinals of the $30,000 ITF Men’s Tennis Tournament. Aryan triumphed 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 in a dramatic quarterfinal battle, continuing his impressive rise in the ITF circuit.
He will now face fellow Indian Kriish Tyagi, a qualifier who has shown nerves of steel and consistency in his run so far. Kriish battled past experienced campaigner Siddharth Vishwakarma in a three-set tussle, eventually prevailing 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-4 to keep his dream alive.
Shah Shines With Grit and Composure
Aryan Shah started his quarterfinal with aggressive baseline play, controlling the pace of rallies and forcing errors from Alexandr Binda. He dictated the tempo in the first set and took it comfortably 6-2. However, Binda regrouped in the second set and punished Aryan’s short returns with well-timed winners, taking the set 6-2.
Undeterred, Aryan stepped up again in the deciding set. He broke early and kept the momentum going with sharp serves and fearless groundstrokes. Aryan sealed the third set 6-2, booking his ticket to the semifinals.
This win marks Aryan’s biggest breakthrough in recent months, and his performance against a higher-ranked international opponent speaks volumes about his preparation and confidence.
Kriish Tyagi’s Run Continues
On the adjacent court, Kriish Tyagi showed immense resilience against Siddharth Vishwakarma. The first set went neck and neck, with both players exchanging breaks. Kriish edged it 7-6(5) in the tiebreak with a brilliant backhand pass down the line.
Siddharth bounced back strongly in the second set, using his experience to dominate with a 6-1 scoreline. But Kriish, just 20 years old, refused to go away. He broke Siddharth midway through the third set and held his nerve in the final games, wrapping up the decider 6-4.
With this win, Kriish confirmed his spot in the last four and set up an exciting all-Indian semifinal against Aryan Shah. Both youngsters now stand one win away from a place in the final.
Clarke Eyes Hat-Trick of Titles
In the other half of the draw, top seed Jay Clarke of Britain stayed on course for a third straight title. He defeated India’s Chirag Duhan 6-2, 6-4 in a clinical quarterfinal display. Clarke used his booming serve and deep groundstrokes to pin Chirag behind the baseline, not allowing him space to dictate play.
Clarke will now take on India’s Karan Singh, who registered a solid straight-sets win over Rytaro Taguchi of Japan, 6-4, 6-4. Karan displayed all-round tennis, mixing power with precision and attacking the net with confidence. He now faces a tough challenge against Clarke, but his current form gives him a fighting chance.
Doubles Semifinals: Chappell and Lomakin Advance
In the doubles competition, Nick Chappell (USA) and Grigoriy Lomakin (Kazakhstan) combined well to beat the Japanese duo of Ryuki Matsuda and Ryotaro Taguchi 7-5, 6-3 in the semifinals. They used strong communication and crisp volleys to control the match.
In the other semifinal, Adil Kalyanpur (India) and Kody Pearson (Australia) held their nerve against Chirag Duhan and Dev Javia, winning 6-3, 7-6(2). Adil and Kody, both aggressive at the net, made good use of their chemistry to close the match in straight sets.
Anirudh Chandrasekar and David Hernandez Reach Doubles Final in Girona
On the European circuit, Anirudh Chandrasekar, alongside David Perez Sanz of Spain, stormed into the doubles final of the €145,250 ATP Challenger tournament in Girona, Spain. The Indo-Spanish pair beat the Czech-Polish combination of Matej Vocel and Szymon Walkow 6-3, 7-6(7) in a high-quality semifinal.
Anirudh and David showed great poise during the tiebreak, saving two set points before converting their second match point. The duo had earlier defeated Inigo Cervantes and Daniel Rincon in the quarterfinals with a gritty 2-6, 6-4, [11-9] win. In the pre-quarterfinals, they had ousted Indian pair Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Vijay Sundar Prashanth 6-3, 6-4.
Mixed Results for Indians in Mexico Challenger
At the $200,000 Challenger in Morelia, Mexico, Sriram Balaji and his Mexican partner Miguel Reyes-Varela fell in the pre-quarterfinals to the Argentine-Mexican pair of Juan Ficovich and Rodrigo Mendez, who won 6-3, 6-4.
In another pre-quarterfinal match, Nicolas Barrientos (Colombia) and Rithvik Bollipalli (India) bowed out after losing 6-4, 6-3 to the Swiss-Italian duo of Marc-Andrea Huesler and Stefano Napolitano.
Sahaja Yamalapalli Competes in Santo Domingo
In the $40,000 ITF Women’s Tournament in Santo Domingo, Sahaja Yamalapalli defeated Tara Malik (USA) 6-0, 6-2 in the first round. However, she couldn’t carry that momentum into the next round, where Hanne Vandewinkel (Belgium) beat her 6-2, 6-2.
In doubles, Sahaja teamed up with Aoi Ito (Japan) and started well against Ariana Arseneault (Canada) and Madison Sieg (USA) by taking the first set 6-1. But they lost focus in the second set and eventually went down in the match tiebreak, 1-6, 6-1, [10-7].
Akanksha Nitture Impresses in Thailand
Indian youngster Akanksha Nitture put in a strong performance in the $15,000 ITF Women’s Tournament in Nonthaburi, Thailand. She defeated Loes Koning (Netherlands) 6-4, 7-5 in the first round but lost 6-1, 6-4 in the pre-quarterfinals to Mana Kawamura (Japan).
In doubles, Akanksha partnered with Varvara Panshina and reached the semifinals. They beat Delia Gaillard (France) and Nicole Rivkin (Germany) 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals, but lost to the Korean-Thai team of Na Ri Kim and Punnin Kovapitukted 6-1, 6-3 in the semis.
Final Thoughts
Indian tennis continues to produce rising stars and memorable performances across the globe. Whether it’s Aryan Shah and Kriish Tyagi making a mark at home, or Anirudh Chandrasekar advancing in Europe, or Akanksha Nitture gaining experience in Asia, Indian players are steadily climbing the ladder.
With the ITF and Challenger circuits heating up, the coming months promise even more thrilling action and inspiring stories from Indian tennis athletes determined to shine on every stage.
