Anning Challenger | Prajnesh Gunneswaran fails to defend his title after losing to Jay Clarke in final

Anning Challenger | Prajnesh Gunneswaran fails to defend his title after losing to Jay Clarke in final

no photo

|

Getty

Last year’s champion Prajnesh Gunneswaran lost the final of the ATP Challenger in Anning by going down to Jay Clarke in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday. The final match went for an hour and 34 minutes in which the top-ranked Indian committed a lot of errors to go down in his title defence. 

After a strong start, Gunneswaran lost the advantage in the fourth game and lost that to Clarke. However, the Indian tennis player broke back soon and at one point the scoreline read 3-3 in the first set of the final. But, he then dropped a service game in the eighth one. Although dominated in the opponent’s serves with some excellent forehand returns after that, he failed to hold his own in the 10th game and lost the set.

Both the players lost their service in the first two games of the second set. But, it was Clarke who came out stronger in the third one and saved five break points to hold his serve. Clarke continued to dominate after that in the entire passage of the final and didn’t allow the Indian to settle down. Gunneswaran conceded the advantage in the sixth game and looked terrible in his own serve throughout the second set.  

Gunneswaran committed a lot of unforced errors in the second set games and eventually handed the set and the match to Clarke. Gunneswaran, who had won the title in 2018, lost the ATP Challenger Tour 125 in Anning.

Get updates! Follow us on

Open all