Pune (Voice News Service):- The ATP Challenger that started in Pune in 2014 can be termed a Challenger that has thrown up top 100 players not only from India but even the world. the tournament which started as the KPIT -MSLTA ATP Challenger was conducted for six years in a row before a three year break during Covid. the tournament resumed back in 2023 as the MahaOpen Challenger has been conducted by the Maharashtra State Lawn tennis Association
The tournament director of the event since inception Sunder Iyer, Hon Secretary of MSLTA and Mr.Prashant Sutar, Chairman of MSLTA said the tournament can be termed as a top 100 Challenger over the years. the tournament which was won by Yuki Bhambri twice ( Yuki still remains the only player to have won the singles event twice) and Prajnesh Gunneswaran reaching the finals twice and Ramkumar Ramanathan who reached the finals once had helped the players to propel into the top 100 -120 stage in singles and play at all the major events in the subsequent year following the event .
Apart from giving valuable ATP points to Indian players over the years , the tournament also helped its past winners Yūichi Sugita (Japan), Sadio Doumbia (France) , Elias Ymer (Sweden ), James Duckworth and Max Purcell (Australia) to enter the top 100 in the world rankings in the singles event .
The doubles event of the tournament has been won by the Indian pairs five out of seven times, the win for the Indian pair of Anirudh Chandrasekar and Vijay Sundar Prashanth in 2023 ensured the team which was given a wildcard became a top 100 pair in the last year since they won the event . Apart from the duo Indian players Saketh Myneni, Sanam Singh, Divij Sharan ,Purav Raja , Ramkumar Ramanathan, Arjun Kadhe who won the titles or reached the finals of the event have all boosted their rankings and made the Top 100 stage , Iyer added
The tournament this year with Sumit Nagal as the top seed and the Top Indian Players making it to the Main Draw or qualifyings through wild cards is truly the Indian Challenger and will help to propel another top 100 player either in singles or doubles at the world stage .
2014 Yūichi Sugita (Japan) bt Adrián Menéndez Maceiras (Spain) 6–7(1–7), 6–4, 6–4
2015 Yuki Bhambri (India) bt Russia Evgeny Donskoy 6–2, 7–6(7–4)
2016 Sadio Doumbia (France) bt Prajnesh Gunneswaran (India) 4–6, 6–4, 6–3
2017 Yuki Bhambri (India) bt Ramkumar Ramanathan (India) 4–6, 6–3, 6–4
2018 Elias Ymer (Sweden ) bt Prajnesh Gunneswaran (India) 6–2, 7–5
2019 James Duckworth (Australia) bt Jay Clarke (United Kingdom) 4–6, 6–4, 6–4
2020–2022 Not held
2023 Max Purcell (Australia) bt Luca Nardi (Italy) 6–2, 6–3
Doubles
2014 Saketh Myneni / Sanam Singh (India) bt Sanchai Ratiwatana /Sonchat Ratiwatana (Thailand )6–3, 6–2
2015 Gerard Granollers / Adrián Menéndez Maceiras (Spain) bt Maximilian Neuchrist( Austria) / Divij Sharan(India) 1–6, 6–3, [10–6]
2016 Purav Raja / Divij Sharan (India) bt Luca Margaroli (Switzerland )/Hugo Nys (France )3–6, 6–3, [11–9]
2017 Tomislav Brkić (Bosnia and Herzegovina ) / Ante Pavić (Croatia) bt Pedro Martínez / Adrián Menéndez Maceiras (Spain) 6–1, 7–6(7–5)
2018 Vijay Sundar Prashanth / Ramkumar Ramanathan (India) bt Hsieh Cheng-peng / Yang Tsung-hua (Chinese Taipei ) 7–6(7–3), 6–7(5–7), [10–7]
2019 Purav Raja / Ramkumar Ramanathan (India) bt Arjun Kadhe / Saketh Myneni 7–6(7–3), 6–3
2020–2022 Not held
2023 Anirudh Chandrasekar / Vijay Sundar Prashanth (India) bt Toshihide Matsui / Kaito Uesugi Japan 6–1, 4–6, [10–3]
