PUNE, February 27, 2026 (Media Release)

Local wild card entry Manas Dhamne squandred two match points going down to Croatia’s Duje Ajdukovic in the singles quarterfinals at the PMRDA Powered Maha Open ATP Challenger 75 Men’s Tennis Championship in Pune, India.

The 25-year-old Ajdukovic, currently ranked world No. 346, survived a stern challenge from the 18-year-old to register a hard-earned 3-6, 7-6(8), 6-4 victory in a gripping contest lasting two hours and 16 minutes.

The opening set saw both players engaged in a fierce baseline exchange. Ajdukovic struck first with a break in the third game, but Dhamne responded immediately to level at 2-2. The young Indian raised the tempo in the sixth game, hammering aggressive returns to snatch another break before confidently serving out the set 6-3.

Dhamne continued his momentum in the second set, breaking in the third game for a 2-1 lead. However, Ajdukovic mounted a determined comeback, breaking back in the eighth game to draw level. With neither player conceding ground, the set was pushed into a tense tie-break. The Croatian held his nerve in the extended breaker, edging it 7-6(8) to restore parity.

In the decider, Ajdukovic came out firing, breaking in the very first game and consolidating with strong serving. Dhamne fought back bravely with a break in the fourth game to keep his hopes alive. But Ajdukovic’s aggressive shot-making and clutch serving proved decisive as he secured another break in the seventh game and closed out the set 6-4 to book his semifinal berth.

Back from the BRINK!

Ajdukovic erases two match points to take Dhamne into a decider!#ATPChallenger | @msltatennis pic.twitter.com/X5xYJMxR7b

— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) February 27, 2026

Eighth seed Edas Butvilas of Lithuania delivered a composed 6-3, 6-3 win over qualifier Masamichi Imamura Japan in one hour and 21 minutes, while Britain’s Felix Gill scripted a remarkable turnaround to defeat qualifier Maks Kasnikowski of Poland 0-6, 7-6(2), 6-1 in an exciting two-hour, five-minute battle.

Sixth seed Federico Cina from Italy looked in control during his 6-4, 6-2 victory over Great Britain’s Alastair Gray to also make the semifnals.

FRIDAY RESULTS

Singles – Quarterfinals

Edas Butvilas[8](Ltu)bt [Q] Masamichi Imamura (Jpn) 6-3, 6-3
Felix Gill (Gbr) bt [Q] Maks Kasnikowski (Pol)0-6, 7-6(2), 6-1
Federico Cina [6](Ita) bt Alastair Gray (Gbr) 6-4, 6-2;
Duje Ajdukovic (Cro) bt [Wc] Manas Dhamne (Ind)3-6, 7-6(8), 6-4

Doubles – Semifinals

Pruchya Isaro (Tha) Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha [2](Ind) bt Yuta Shimizu (Jpn) Seita Watanabe[3](Jpn)7-5, 7-6(4)
Jisung Nam (Kor) Patrik Niklas-Salminen [4](Fin) bt Siddhant Banthia (Ind) Alexander Donski[1](Bul) 6-2, 6-4