India's Prithvi Sekhar wins back-to-back Australian Open Deaf C'ships title

India's Prithvi Sekhar displayed his sheer consistency in deaf tennis, successfully defending his men's singles title at the Australian Open Deaf Championships in Melbourne on Sunday.

The 31-year-old, a veteran of the 2013 and 2017 Deaflympics, outclassed France's Olivier Grave in a straight-sets victory (6-3, 6-1) in the final.

Sekhar, the lone Indian representative at the tournament, showcased his resilience in the semifinals, overcoming a spirited challenge from Marino Kegl 3-6, 6-3, 7-6.

While his men's doubles campaign, partnering Marco Carretta of Italy, ended prematurely in the third round with a 6-4, 3-6, 10-7 defeat to the French pair of Olivier Grave and Mikael Laurent, Sekhar remained focused on his singles quest.

Last year, Sekhar defeated Gabor Mathe to claim the title. However, a semifinal loss to Mathe in 2023 briefly interrupted his reign at the prestigious tournament hosted by Tennis Australia.

Despite his singles success, the men's doubles title continues to elude him. In 2022, partnering Glen Flindell, he fell short in the final against Gabor Mathe and Esah Hyat.

A former ATP Tour regular, Sekhar gained his first ATP point with a victory at an International Tennis Federation World Tennis Tour event in China. He later transitioned to deaf tennis, achieving a significant milestone by winning the men's singles world title at the 2019 World Deaf Tennis Championships.