Tashkent Challenger: Yuki Bhambri reaches doubles quarters with Divij Sharan, advances to Round 2 in singles

Tashkent: Yuki Bhambri advanced to the singles second round of the ATP Tashkent Open and reached the doubles quarterfinals with compatriot Divij Sharan following an upset win over the top seeds. Yuki was leading Aleksandr Nedovyesov 3-0 when the Kazakh opted out of first round of the USD 150,000 Challenger event due to a right hip strain. [caption id=“attachment_3364732” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Yuki Bhambri. AFP[/caption] The 152nd-ranked Indian will next take on Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak, who dispatched Australia’s Marc Polmans 6-4 7-6(8) in a tight match at the Olympic Tennis School. In the doubles, Yuki and left-handed Divij Sharan knocked the top-seeded Argentine pair of Guillermo Duran and Andres Molteni 6-4 6-2 in their first round. They will next clash with Denys Molchanov of Ukraine and Romain Arneodo of Monaco. However, disappointment was in store for fourth seeded Indian pair of Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Vishnu Vardhan as they lost 6-7(6) 6-7(6) to Italian Thomas Fabbiano and Luca Margaroli of Switzerland in a close contest. Meanwhile, at the Shanghai Masters, Rohan Bopanna and Pablo Cuevas were ousted after losing their opening round 6-3 3-6 5-10 to Nick Kyrgios and Lucas Pouille.