Dhakshineswar “DK” Suresh is through to the final round of qualifying at the 2026 Winston-Salem Open, coming from a set down to beat Spain’s Roger Pascual Ferra 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on the courts of the Wake Forest Tennis Complex — the same venue where Suresh built his college career.
Suresh, ranked No. 400, needed just over two hours to see off the world No. 682 Pascual Ferra in the first round of qualifying on Saturday. It is a result that keeps alive his bid to reach the main draw of the ATP 250 event, the last tour-level stop in the US before the US Open.
A Rocky Start, Then Total Control
Pascual Ferra took the opening set 6-3, breaking through Suresh’s serve to draw first blood. Suresh regrouped to level the match with a 6-3 second set, setting up a decider that swung on a single game.
Serving at 1-2 in the third set, Suresh faced four break points — three of them at 0-40 — that would have handed Pascual Ferra a near-decisive edge in the decider. He saved all four, held serve, and never trailed again on his way to the 6-4 finish. Twelve aces backed up the escape act, a number that reflects how much Suresh leaned on his serve once the match tightened.
Home Comforts at Wake Forest
The venue mattered here. Suresh played his college tennis at Wake Forest after transferring from Georgia Gwinnett College, and the Winston-Salem Open’s qualifying rounds are played at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex — the courts where he built his game before turning to the tour full-time. A qualifying draw so close to a player’s college base doesn’t come around often, and Suresh had a crowd in his corner because of it.
Part of a Breakout Year
The win fits into what has been Suresh’s most significant year on tour. He was central to India’s 2026 Davis Cup Round 1 win over the Netherlands, winning both his singles rubbers and teaming with Yuki Bhambri to take the doubles as well — a performance that went a long way toward a career-high ATP singles ranking. He was also named Indian Tennis Daily’s Male Player of the Year for 2025, recognition for a season that included a run to the second round of Winston-Salem Open qualifying and an upset over then-world No. 19 Alejandro Tabilo at the same tournament.
What’s Next
Suresh will face top seed Abdullah Shelbayh of Jordan, ranked No. 253, in the final qualifying round on Sunday at 10:30 PM IST. A win would put him into the Winston-Salem Open main draw — his first tour-level main draw in singles — for the first time.