PIC 1.Singles winners: From left: Peter Vijay Kumar, EC Member, KSLTA and Asst. Tournament Director, Mr. MB Dyaberi, VP, KSLTA, Mrs Malavika Hegde, daughter of late Shri SM Krishna, Ilya Ivashka (Finalist), Petr Bar Biryukov (winner), Mr. Maheshwar Rao IAS, Chief Commissioner, Greater Bengaluru Authority and Hon. Secy KSLTA, Mr. Gautam Upadhaye, Sr. General Manager, Advaith Hyundai and Mr. Rajashekhar, Member EC, KSLTA.
PIC2.Doubles winners: (From left): Peter Vijay Kumar, EC Member, KSLTA and Asst. Tournament Director, Grigoriy Lomakin, Petr Bar Biryukov, Mukund Sasikumar, Adil Kalyanpur, Maheshwar Rao IAS, Chief Commissioner, Greater Bengaluru Authority and Hon. Secy KSLTA, Mr. Debi Prasad Satpathy, Director HR, Bharat Earth Movers Limited and Mr. Rajashekhar, Member EC, KSLTA.
Bengaluru, May 23: Fourth seed Petr Bar Biryukov held off former World No. 40 Ilya Ivashka in a pulsating three-set battle to win the men’s singles title, while the Indian pair of Adil Kalyanpur and Mukund Sasikumar capped an impressive week by claiming the doubles crown at the SM Krishna Memorial Open on Saturday.
Biryukov defeated his experienced opponent 7-6 (0), 4-6, 6-4 in a high-quality final that lasted two hours and one minute, showcasing aggressive shot-making, powerful serving and relentless baseline exchanges. The tall southpaw earned a winner’s cheque of USD 9,500 along with 50 ATP ranking points while Ivashka had to settle for USD 5,500 and 25 ATP points for his run to the final.
Later, the home crowd had reasons to celebrate as Adil Kalyanpur and Mukund Sasikumar defeated Petr Bar Biryukov and Grigoriy Lomakin of Kazakhstan 6-7 (3), 6-4, 10-3 to lift the men’s doubles title. It was Adil and Mukunds maiden ATP Challenger title. The champions took home USD 2980 and 50 ATP points as a team, while the finalists earned USD 1,740 and 30 ATP points.
In the men’s singles final, Biryukov relied heavily on his biggest weapon — his serve — firing 14 aces compared to Ivashka’s eight. Though Biryukov committed 39 unforced errors, his willingness to attack in pressure moments proved decisive against the former ATP Tour title winner.
The opening set was fiercely contested, with neither player conceding a break. Ivashka, whose experience includes competing regularly on the ATP Tour and reaching a career-high ranking inside the world’s top 40, absorbed pressure well and extended rallies whenever possible.
But the tie-break belonged entirely to Biryukov. Producing some of his best tennis of the match, the Russian blanked Ivashka 7-0, hammering down serves and dictating with forehand winners to seize the advantage.
Ivashka responded strongly in the second set. The Belarusian earned the crucial break in the fifth game, tightening his game from the baseline and reducing errors to draw level. His experience showed as he calmly protected the lead and forced the championship clash into a deciding set.
The final set delivered some of the best exchanges of the afternoon. With another tie-break looming, Biryukov found an opening at the perfect moment, breaking Ivashka in the 10th game before serving out the title.
The victory marks Biryukov’s first career win on ATP Challenger Tour. “I have no words to say how I feel. It is special for me that this happened in Bengaluru, ac ity that I love,” said the 24 year old southpaw.
The doubles final, scheduled to begin shortly after the singles championship match, was delayed by nearly an hour due to a brief drizzle, pushing back proceedings and altering the rhythm of the day. The interruption also offered Biryukov valuable recovery time after spending more than two hours on court in the physically demanding singles final.
Despite the additional respite, the Indian pair combined experience and energy effectively to deny Biryukov a second trophy. Mukund’s composure in key exchanges and Adil’s aggressive movement around the net helped the duo close out the victory and provide the home crowd with a memorable finish.
Men’s singles (Final)
4-Petr Bar Biryukov bt Ilya Ivashka 7-6 (0), 4-6, 6-4.
Men’s Doubles (Finals)
Adil Kalyanpur (IND) / Mukund Sasikumar (IND) bt Petr Bar Biryukov / Grigoriy Lomakin (KAZ) 6-7 (3), 6-4, 10-3.
