In a commanding display of skill and resilience, Spain's Pedro Martinez was crowned the champion of the tenth edition of the Bengaluru Open on Saturday. The top-seeded player, currently ranked 96th in the world, overcame a spirited challenge from Kazakhstan's Timofey Skatov, winning the ATP Challenger 125 final with a scoreline of 7-6 (5), 6-3 at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium.
A Hard-Fought Victory in the Garden City
This victory marks a significant full-circle moment for the 28-year-old Spaniard. Martinez made his debut at this very tournament back in November 2017, ranked a lowly 258th, and lost in the second round to India's Yuki Bhambri. Since then, his career has soared, reaching a career-high ranking of 36 in February 2025. His triumph in Bengaluru, which lasted one hour and 56 minutes, earned him 125 ATP ranking points and $33,650 in prize money, securing his eighth career ATP Challenger title.
Nervy Start and Rain Interruption
The opening set was a tense affair with little separating the two finalists. Martinez, standing at 6'1", had his first break-point chance in the fourth game, but the sixth-seeded Skatov, a former junior world number one, saved it with a service winner. The Spaniard faced a stern test in the ninth game, battling through three deuces before holding serve to lead 5-4. Skatov, however, showed great fight, saving three set points in the next game to level at 5-5, forcing a tie-break.
The tie-break was briefly halted by rain with the score poised at 3-3. After the restart, Martinez found another gear. A clever drop shot and an unforced error from Skatov gave him a 6-4 lead, and he sealed the first set when his opponent committed his 22nd unforced error of the set.
Martinez Dominates to Seal the Title
Carrying the momentum from his Rotterdam exploits last year, where he defeated stars like Holger Rune and Roberto Bautista Agut, Martinez dominated the second set. He broke Skatov's serve in the very first game and consolidated it with a forehand winner for a 2-0 lead. An ace in the sixth game extended his lead to 4-2.
Martinez then began to assert his dominance completely, striking winners at will. Back-to-back forehand winners in the eighth game gave him a 5-3 lead, effectively ending Skatov's hopes of a comeback. He sealed the championship moments later, earning match point with a forehand winner and a crosscourt backhand, before a final unforced error from Skatov handed him the coveted Bengaluru Open trophy.
Doubles Glory for Barrientos and Kittay
In the doubles final, the fourth-seeded pair of Nicolas Barrientos of Colombia and Benjamin Kittay of the United States emerged victorious. They defeated the third-seeded French duo of Arthur Reymond and Luca Sanchez 7-6(9), 7-5 in a closely contested match that lasted one hour and 37 minutes.
Final Results:
- Singles: 1-Pedro Martinez (Esp) bt 6-Timofey Skatov (Kaz) 7-6(5), 6-3.
- Doubles: 4-Nicolas Barrientos (Col)/Benjamin Kittay (US) bt 3-Arthur Reymond/Luca Sanchez (Fra) 7-6 (9), 7-5.
