Top seed Pedro Martinez of Spain delivered a commanding performance to secure his spot in the championship match of the Bengaluru Open ATP Challenger 125 event. The world number 96 overcame France's Matteo Martineau in straight sets, 7-6 (4), 6-1, in a semifinal clash at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium on Friday.
A Tale of Two Sets
The opening set was a tightly contested affair that required a tie-break to decide the winner. Martineau, ranked 319, started brightly, securing an early break to lead 4-2. However, Martinez, demonstrating the experience that once took him to a career-high ranking of 36, fought back with a crucial break. The Spaniard saved a break point in a tense eighth game featuring three deuces. Both players held serve thereafter, pushing the set into a tie-break where Martinez's forehand winner helped him establish a 6-4 lead. He sealed the set when Martineau sent a backhand wide for his 18th unforced error of the set.
The match lasted one hour and 38 minutes, but the second set was a completely different story. Riding the confidence from winning the first set, Martinez dominated proceedings. He broke Martineau's serve early to race to a 2-0 lead. The Frenchman's game crumbled under pressure, and Martinez, assertive at the net and from the baseline, secured another break. A final volley in the seventh game booked his place in Saturday's final.
Martinez Sets Sights on Title
"I am very happy with the way I played the second part of the match," said Martinez after his victory. "Winning the first set gave me confidence, and I was able to raise my level in the second, which was the key." The 28-year-old, who has notable wins over players like Holger Rune, will now aim for the Bengaluru Open crown.
His opponent in the final will be sixth-seeded Kazakh player Timofey Skatov, ranked 235. Skatov produced an impressive upset in the other semifinal, defeating second seed Harold Mayot of France 6-4, 6-3 in just one hour and 14 minutes.
Indian Campaign Ends in Doubles
The home challenge at the season-opening event concluded in the doubles semifinals. The top-seeded Indo-Austrian pair of N Sriram Balaji and Neil Oberleitner were knocked out by the third-seeded French duo of Arthur Reymond and Luca Sanchez. The match was extremely close, with both sets decided by tie-breakers. The French pair eventually prevailed 7-6(4), 7-6(3) after one hour and 37 minutes.
Semifinal Results:
Singles:
1-Pedro Martinez (Esp) bt Matteo Martineau (Fra) 7-6(4), 6-1.
6-Timofey Skatov (Kaz) bt 2-Harold Mayot (Fra) 6-4, 6-3.
Doubles:
3-Arthur Reymond/Luca Sanchez (Fra) bt 1-Sriram Balaji (Ind) & Neil Oberleitner (Aut) 7-6(4), 7-6(3).
4-Nicolas Barrientos (Col)/Benjamin Kittay (USA) bt Max Houkes/Niels Visker (Ned) 7-6(6), 6-3.
