PUNE: Qualifier Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha extended his brilliant run all the way to clinch his maiden singles title in the $25,000 men’s tennis event in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Saturday.
The 23-year-old Poonacha, who trains at the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy in Bangalore, tamed 30-year-old Australian Michael Look 6-3, 6-1 in the 53-minute final.
The 27 ranking points and the $3,600 (Rs. 2.5 lakh approximately) he earned from the hard court event will taste a whole lot sweeter for Poonacha.
Ranked currently 1111, the youngster not only came through the qualifying round, but also saved two match points in the opening round and survived three more in the quarterfinals.
“All these matches made me believe more, they gave me the confidence,” said Poonacha after his breakthrough win.
“In the semis, I was playing really good. And in the final, I was comfortable. This week has been truly amazing for me, one of the best weeks so far.”
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