Fringe players chase ATP points in Bengaluru Open
BENGALURU: Moldavian Radu Albot and Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti have had their brush with big-time tennis, but will be determined not to slip in more humble surroundings as the favourites at the $150,000 Bengaluru Open starting on Monday.
This year’s event sees the prize money hiked by US $50,000, making it the most lucrative ATP Challenger event in India. The event also boosts Bengaluru’s hopes of emerging as a premier tennis venue. With India’s lone ATP tournament having shifted from Chennai to Pune, Bengaluru, and the money and 125 ATP points on offer, has drawn a decent bunch of players.
Albot (world No 100), a winner of six Challenger titles, has a few firsts. He was the first from Moldova to win a Challenger title and enter a Grand Slam main draw (US Open 2014). Few will forget Trungelliti’s midnight dash involving a drive close to 10 hours to reach the 2018 French Open after a last minute spot opened up. Landing around midnight with mother and grandmother in tow, he went on to win the next day. India’s defending champion Sumit Nagal has had his share of ups and downs this season, forcing him to seek a wild card. In a repeat of last year’s final, the 21-year-old (world No 310) faces Britain’s Jay Clarke in first round. Nagal though is keen not to let the pressure of a defending champion get to him. “I had been struggling this season, so I started working with a new team in September. I am playing well – not looking at the title but will take it match by match,” Nagal said.
Two other Indians are chasing main draw slots in the qualifying rounds, which stretched to Monday. Sasi Kumar Mukund will play Frenchman Mick Lescure and Siddharth Vishwakarma, winner of the national hardcourt title last month, will face Youssef Hossam of Egypt.