Ilya Ivashka Stuns Top Seed at Maha Open ATP Challenger

Belarusian tennis player Ilya Ivashka upset top seed Federico Agustin Gomez in a three-set opener at the Maha Open ATP Challenger 75. Despite dropping the second set, Ivashka secured victory in a tense third-set tiebreaker, advancing to the second round alongside Japan's Yuta Shimizu and Britain's Alastair Gray.

In a stunning turn of events at the Maha Open ATP Challenger 75, Belarus' Ilya Ivashka delivered a major upset by defeating top seed Federico Agustin Gomez on Monday. The former top-50 star, set to celebrate his 32nd birthday on Tuesday, showcased remarkable resilience.

Ivashka clinched the first set 6-1 but faced a setback, allowing Gomez to dominate the second with a 1-6 score. The intense match culminated in a thrilling third-set tiebreaker, where Ivashka held his nerve to secure a 7-6(7) victory after 2 hours and 25 minutes of play.

Elsewhere, Japan's Yuta Shimizu, Britain's Alastair Gray, and Croatia's Duje Ajdukovic all advanced, while Indian players S D Prajwal Dev and Digvijaypratap Singh failed to progress past the final qualifying round.

(With inputs from agencies.)