Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan pulls out of AirAsia Open

Bengaluru: The Indian wild card entrant Suraj Prabodh and N Vijay Sundar Prashanth will begin their campaign here on Monday, even as Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan has pulled out of USD 50,000 AirAsia Open.

While Prabodh will be up against Arthur de Greef of Belgium, Prashanth will face fifth seeded Yannick Mertens of Belgium) at the KSLTA Courts.

Today three more Indians have qualified to the main draw, taking the tally of home team players in the main draw to 11.

Sidarth Rawat and Prajnesh Gunneswaran won their respective qualifying matches, while Lakshit Sood made it to main draw despite losing in the final round of the qualifiers.

Sood squeezed into the main draw as a lucky loser after Nedunchezhiyan pulled out citing fever.

Nedunchezhiyan became the second Indian to pull out after Yuki Bhambri.

Today Rawat, ranked 663 on the ATP list, defeated another Indian Jayesh Pungliya 6-4 6-0 and Prajnesh (845) outwitted Sood by an identical margin.

Meanwhile, top seed Adrian Mendez-Maceiras of Spain will lock horns with qualifier Petros Chrysochos of Cyprus in the first round.

Sixth seed Ti Chen Teipe will take on qualifier Temur Ismailov of Uzbekistan.

In the doubles, Davis cupper Somdev Devvarman will team up with compatriot Christopher Marquis to clash against another wild card Indian pair of Chandril Sood and Lakshit Sood in pre-quarterfinals.

Top seeds Divij Sharan and Maximilian Neuchrist will play against Petros Chrysochos and Temur Ismailov.

Results:

Qualifying final round: Sidarth Rawat (Ind) bt Jayesh Pungliya (Ind) 6-4 6-0; Temur Ismailov (Uzb) bt Christopher Marquis (Ind) 6-3 7-6 (6); Prajnesh Gunneswaran (Ind) bt Lakshit Sood 6-4 6-0; Petros Chrysochos (Cyp) bt Chandril Sood (Ind) 7-6 (5) 6-3.