Prajnesh Gunneswaran has clinched his first ever singles tennis title on the ATP Challenger circuit.
In the final of the Kunming Open at Anning, China, today, he defeated Egypt’s Mohammed Safwat in three sets 5-7, 6-3, 6-1.
The 28-year-old from Chennai pocketed 21,600 US Dollars and earned 125 points which are likely to help him jump more than 80 places when the new ranking chart will be issued tomorrow.
At present, the southpaw is ranked 260.
India will now have three players inside top-200 as Prajnesh is expected to be around 175. Yuki Bhambri leads the chart for the country at number 83 and is followed by Ramkumar Ramanathan at the 115 position.
It may be recalled that Prajnesh had won the decisive fifth rubber of the recent Asia/Oceania Group I second round Davis Cup Tie against China at Tianjin.
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