ATP Challenger Ministry of Interior Tournament Heats Up
TDT | Manama
The fourth edition of the ATP Challenger Ministry of Interior Tournament continues to deliver high-stakes tennis as the Round of 16 matches unfolded at the Public Security Officers Club courts. With intense rivalries, dramatic comebacks, and electrifying performances, players left everything on the court in pursuit of a coveted quarterfinal spot.
Fierce Clashes Define Day Four
The action-packed day began with Hungary's Márton Fucsovics overpowering Tunisia's Aziz Dougaz in straight sets (6-2, 6-3), asserting his dominance early.
A gripping all-Norwegian battle saw Viktor Durasovic edge past Nikolai Budkov Kjær in a tense encounter, while Croatia's Duje Djaković staged a thrilling comeback to defeat Romania's Filip Cristian Jianu (6-1, 2-6, 7-5) in a rollercoaster match.
France's Terence Atmane continued his impressive form, breezing past Hong Kong's Coleman Wong (6-1, 6-4) with a commanding performance. Meanwhile, Canada's Alexis Galarneau emerged victorious in a hard-fought three-set battle against Russia's Ilya Simakin (6-4, 4-6, 6-4).
Russia's Marat Sharipov delivered a solid display to dispatch Netherlands' Jesper de Jong (6-3, 6-4), but the most dramatic match of the day came between Americans Brandon Holt and Daniel Evans. In a grueling three-hour marathon, Holt edged Evans in a nail-biting contest (4-6, 7-5, 7-5), thrilling the crowd with his resilience.
The biggest shock of the tournament saw defending champion Mikhail Kukushkin bow out, falling to Italy's Andrea Vavassori (6-1, 3-6, 2-6) in a major upset.
Doubles Action Intensifies
The doubles competition saw the Indian duo of Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Vijay Sundar Prashanth maintain their momentum, claiming a well-earned victory over Colin Sinclair (Northern Mariana Islands) and Saketh Myneni (India) (6-4, 7-6).
Russia's Ivan Liutarevich and France's Lucas Sanchez outplayed the Indian-Taipei pairing of Anirudh Chandrasekar and Ray Ho (7-6, 6-3). Meanwhile, the Romanian-Spanish team of Victor Cornea and Sergio Martos Gornes dashed local hopes, defeating Bahrain's Youssef Qaed and France's Benoît Paire (6-2, 7-6) after a tightly contested second set.
In another dramatic match, Norwegian duo Nikolai Budkov Kjær and Viktor Durasovic rallied from behind to take down Bulgaria's Adrian Andreev and Romania's Filip Cristian Jianu (5-7, 6-2, 10-7), sealing the win in a tense super tiebreak.
With the final eight players ready to battle, the quarterfinals promise even higher stakes and intense competition as they fight for a place in the semifinals of this prestigious ATP Challenger event. Expect fireworks on the courts as the Ministry of Interior Tournament enters its most crucial phase.
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