Maha Open ATP Challenger: Sasikumar Mukund defeats higher-ranked opponent

Sasikumar Mukund produced a brilliant display at the Maha Open ATP Challenger 100 event to trounce British qualifier Felix Gill and advance to the quarter-finals of the event on Wednesday.

World number 457 Mukund defeated Gill, who ranked more than 100 places above him at No. 344, 6-1, 6-0 to enter the last eight.

It is the second time in three events in India that Mukund has made the quarterfinals. He will next meet third seed Adam Walton of Australia. Walton overcame a tough challenge from Chinese Taipei's Tung-Lin Wu 6-7, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4) in a 2 hour 40 minutes to move into the quarterfinals.

Fourth seed Valentin Vacherot and Frenchman Enzo Couacaudwill will clash in another quarterfinal on Friday.

Vacherot, who is from Monaco, scored a comfortable 6-1, 6-2 win over Australian Tristian Schoolkate while Couacaud advanced when fifth seed Dalibor Svrcina, of the Czech Republic, retired while trailing 6-4, 7-5, 1-4.

In the doubles draw, Indian pairs dominated the day. Top seeds Arjun Kadhe and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan scored a 6-3, 6-3 win over fellow Indians Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha and Rithvik Choudary.

The duo of Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan, who won back-to-back Challenger titles in Chennai and Bengaluru, won their ninth match in a row when they humbled second seeds Piotr Matuszewski and Matthew Romios 7-6 (5), 6-4 to enter the quarter-finals.

Top seed Sumit Nagal will take on Niki Poonacha while Ramkumar Ramanathan will face qualifier Alexey Zakharov in the second-round singles matches to be played on Thursday.