Unseeded Indian pair Saketh Myneni and Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha clinched the men’s doubles title at the Karnataka Open 2026 ATP Challenger 50 tournament on Saturday.
The Indian duo delivered a dominant performance, defeating Petr Bar Biryukov and Kazakhstan’s Grigoriy Lomakin 6-2, 6-3 in just 53 minutes at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium.
Path to Victory
Myneni and Poonacha showcased exceptional form throughout the week without dropping a single set. Their journey included:
- Round 1: Defeated fourth seeds Kokoro Isomura and Ryuki Matsuda (Japan)
- Quarter-finals: Beat Indian wildcards Sidharth Rawat and Manish Sureshkumar
- Semi-finals: Stunned top seeds Prajwal Dev and Nitin Kumar Sinha 7-5, 6-1
Match Highlights
The final was one-sided. The Indians broke their opponents in the 6th and 8th games of the first set to take it 6-2 in just 24 minutes. In the second set, they broke in the 8th game and comfortably closed out the match 6-3.
Career Milestones
- This victory marks Saketh Myneni’s 21st ATP Challenger doubles title.
- It is Niki Poonacha’s 9th Challenger doubles crown.
- Most importantly, it is their first title as a team.
Myneni, a decorated Indian player with multiple Asian Games medals and a mixed doubles gold with Sania Mirza (Incheon 2014), continues to add to his impressive resume.
Significance for Indian Tennis
The win underlines the growing strength of Indian doubles tennis on the Challenger circuit. With strong home support in Bengaluru, both players delivered a clinical performance that will boost their rankings and confidence heading into future tournaments.
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