Bengaluru Open final | Clinical Martinez downs Skatov, clinches title

Top seed Pedro Martinez dished out yet another clinical performance to beat Kazakhstan’s Timofey Skatov 7-6(5), 6-3 to win the Dafa News Bengaluru Open ATP Challenger 125 at the S.M. Krishna Stadium here on Saturday.

The World No. 96 from Spain will be richer by $33,650, and the 125 points he will gain are set to leave him just outside the top-70. It was Martinez’s eighth ATP Challenger title.

On the day, Skatov was the more adventurous player, hitting the ball flat and not averse to trying a point-ending stroke at any given opportunity. After all, the 24-year-old, a former junior World No. 1, idolises Roger Federer and counts the inside-out forehand as his favourite shot. However, Martinez, 28, was the steadier player, impressing with his top-spin, shot-selection and court-coverage. His tennis idol is compatriot David Ferrer.

But for a break-point Martinez had to save in the ninth game, he was unflappable. He pressured the Skatov serve as early as the fourth game, forcing him to come up with a fierce service-winner to hold. In the 10th game, he ran up a set-point thrice, but unforced errors cost him.

The set slipped into a tie-break and there, at 3-3, a 25-minute rain delay seemed to upset Skatov’s rhythm. Martinez won it to five points as the sixth seed netted a return, and a 2-0 lead in the second stanza set him on the path to ascendency.

In fact, the manner in which Martinez held his first three service games in that set was proof enough of his dominance – two killer forehands to go 2-0 and 3-1 up, and an inch-perfect ace to establish a 4-2 lead.

With Skatov serving to stay in the match at 3-5, Martinez pushed hard. And his opponent wilted, losing the game to love by dumping a backhand into the net and sending Martinez into a state of rapturous delight.

Triumphant: Barrientos & Kittay claimed the doubles title.
| Photo Credit:
SUDHAKARA JAIN

Other result (final): Doubles: Nicolas Barrientos (Col) & Benjamin Kittay (USA) bt Arthur Reymond & Luca Sanchez (Fra) 7-6(9), 7-5.