Indian Wells Open | Yuki Bhambri edges past World No.12 Lucas Pouille to enter round three

03/12/2018

Yuki Bhambri has secured a stunning victory over ninth-seed Lucas Pouille in the straight sets 6-4, 6-4 at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Monday. The Indian ace will now take on Sam Querrey in the round of 32 after the latter got the better of Mischa Zverev in straights sets.

Bhambri continued his brilliant run of form in the tournament as he managed to upset Frenchman Lucas Pouille 6-4, 6-4 in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament. The 25-year-old, who had overcome the challenge posed by Nicolas Mahut in the first round to secure his maiden win at the ATP 1000 level, started the second round in a strong fashion by breaking Pouille in the very first game of the match and secured a 4-1 lead with another break in the fifth game. Although Bhambri was broken in the very next game, he managed to managed to hold on and secure the first set 6-4.

Although the second set was a much closer affair, ut was Bhambri who grabbed the initiative by breaking Pouille in the third game. The Frenchman drew level in the set with a break of his own in the sixth game and held his serve to take a 4-3 lead. But, Bhambri was in no mood to take the match into the third and after breaking the Frenchman in the 16-point rally served out the match to book a place in the next round of the competition where he will face American Sam Querrey.

Earlier, in the first round, Bhambri had managed to secure a straight sets win over Nicolas Mahut to secure his first win of the ATP1000 event.