Pune, February 24, 2024: Third seeded Australian Adam Walton will clash against fourth seeded Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot of Monaco in the singles final of the PMRDA MahaOpen ATP Challenger 100 Men’s International Tennis Championships, organised by Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA), at Mahalunge Balewadi Stadium.
In the first semi-final day, third seeded Walton overcame a stiff challenge from second seeded Duje Ajdukovic to win 7-5,7-6(6) in one hour and 49 minutes.
The Australian won the first set 7-5 and then led 5-2 in the second before the Croatian started his fightback. Ajdukovic saved four matchpoints to level the set at 5-5 and then force a tiebreak.
The Croatian even held a setpoint in the tiebreaker but Walton stood his ground for a 7-5, 7-6 (6) victory to record his eleventh win in his last twelve matches.
The world No. 154 had won the Burnie Challenger and then reached the quarter-finals in the Bengaluru Challenger in the preceding two weeks.
In the second semi-final, fourth seed Valentin Vacherot avoided an all-Australian final beating seventh seed Dane Sweeny in three sets.
Vacherot lost the first set 4-6 but then bounced back to take the next two sets to complete the 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win, also in one hour and 49 minutes.
The fourth seed had won two consecutive ATP Challengers in Thailand at the start of the year and has now won 18 of his last 19 matches on the tour.
The unseeded duo of Tristian Schoolkate and Adam Walton won the doubles final. The Australians upset third seeds Dan Added/ Yunseong Chung 7-6(5),7-5 to win the title and 100 ATP points.
The trophies were given away at the hands of. Mr Sanjay Khandare IAS Principal Secretary Dept of Water and Sanitation Public Health Government of Maharashtra , Mr Prashant Sutar Chairman of MSLTA , Tournament Director Sunder Iyer and ATP Supervisor Rogerio Santos.
Singles Semi-Finals
[3] Adam Walton (AUS) def. [2] Duje Ajdukovic (CRO) 7-5, 7-6 (6)
[4] Valentin Vacherot (MON) def. [7] Dane Sweeny (AUS) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
Doubles Final
Tristan Schoolkate (AUS) / Adam Walton (AUS) bt [3] Dan Added (FRA) / Yunseong Chung (KOR) 7-6(4), 7-5
Adam Walton and Tristan Schoolkate with the doubles trophy
(Photo – Mrinal Kaul/MSLTA)
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