The experienced Indian pair of Ramkumar Ramanathan and Saketh Myneni made a powerful statement by advancing to the doubles quarterfinals at the Maha Open 2025. Their impressive performance saw them overpowering the Belgian-British duo of Michael Geerts and Billy Harris with an authoritative 6-0, 6-4 win at the Mhalunge Balewadi Tennis Stadium. The top-seeded Indian team of Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Vijay Sundar Prashanth also secured their place in the quarterfinals after defeating the Danish pair of August Holmgren and Elmer Moller 6-3, 7-6(9). This sets the stage for an all-Indian quarterfinal clash between these formidable teams.
In another notable match, Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha from India and Zimbabwe’s Courtney John Lock teamed up effectively to overcome the Canadian duo of Alexis Galarneau and Kelsey Stevenson, winning 6-4, 7-6(7). However, there was a surprising turn of events when the Russian pair of Petr Bar Biryukov and Ilia Simakin upset the third-seeded Anirudh Chandrasekar and Ray Ho from Chinese Taipei, securing a hard-fought 7-6(7), 6-7(5), 10-4 victory. Meanwhile, other Indian players, including wildcards Siddhant Banthia, Parikshit Somani, Karan Singh, and Nitin Kumar Sinha, were unable to advance in their respective matches.
The singles competition also witnessed some exciting moments. Eighth-seeded Canadian player Alexis Galarneau claimed his spot in the quarterfinals by defeating Belgium’s Michael Geerts 6-4, 6-4. Defending champion Valentin Vacherot from Monaco swiftly ended Japanese qualifier Masamichi Imamura’s tournament run with a decisive 6-2, 6-3 victory. Czech player Dalibor Svrcina demonstrated resilience, overcoming Austria’s Jurij Rodionov 6-4, 7-5, while Ilia Simakin from Russia outperformed Australia’s James McCabe 6-2, 6-4 to secure his place among the last eight.
The success of the Indian tennis players highlights the growing strength and competitiveness of the country's talent on the international stage. These victories not only showcase individual prowess but also underscore the importance of teamwork and perseverance. As the tournament progresses, fans can look forward to more thrilling matches that promise to inspire and entertain.