$54(+H) Pune Challenger, November 11-18,2019

[Rajiv]

Pune EL is out , with not a very strong field , Prajnesh, Sumit , Ram , Mukund,Saki , Khade, S Rawat make up the Indian contingent with direct entries.

It would be nice if any one of our top 3 grabs the title, in this rare home Challenger.

[Sin Hombre]

I wouldn't mind Sasi grabbing the title either, could be a turning point in his career.

[PKBasu]

So no Bangalore Challenger this year? I don't see it on the calendar. Could we start a proper new thread for the Pune Challenger please with the full entry list? Sumit had a lot of points to defend at Bangalore

[sameerph]

We did discuss on the earlier page about Bangalore challenger being cancelled.

Not Sumit but Prajnesh has big title points to defend from Bangalore challenger title last year. Sumit won it in 2017. Will open a thread for Pune Challenger later posting the full entry list ( will need to rearrange as per the rankings from the list which is available on twitter in alphabetic order).

[RohitG]

Seeding works based on current rankings, is that correct? Or does it work based on entry list rankings?

[Rajiv]

Seeding works based on current rankings, is that correct? Or does it work based on entry list rankings?

Rohit the seedings are based as per the ATP rankings on the day the tournament commences.

[RohitG]

Thanks Rajiv. Currently on entry list, Praj and Sumit are the top two ranked players. It seems like things will change with Duckworth and Diez not having much to defend till then.

[sameerph]

Opening a new thread to discuss this year's Pune challenger. So, all the discussion relating to Pune Challenger can be continued in this thread.

[PKBasu]

Still awaiting the proper list of acceptances. The website of course is non-functional still.

[sameerph]

Full entry list is available on this twitter source-

Pune Challenger entry list

It is in alphabetical order. Someone will have to arrange it in ranking order as the list is not yet available on menstennisforums or tennisteen websites.

[sameerph]

Thanks Rajiv. Currently on entry list, Praj and Sumit are the top two ranked players. It seems like things will change with Duckworth and Diez not having much to defend till then.

Precisely the seedings will be based on the ranking on the day of the draw. So, practically it will be the previous week's rankings which will count. So, rankings as on 4.11.2019.

Prajnesh has only 29 points to defend this week till then, Sumit has nothing to defend, Duckworth and Diez nothing. So, worst case points for Prajnesh will be 598 points with a ranking of 93, Sumit is 163 points behind him, Duckworth further 13 points behind and Diez 13 points behind Sumit.

So, Prajnesh will surely be the top seed in Pune, seeds 2 to 4 will be between Sumit, Duckworth and Diez.

[jayakris]

That is nice. Let us have a Prajnesh-Sumit final there!! Yeah.

[sameerph]

Precisely the seedings will be based on the ranking on the day of the draw. So, practically it will be the previous week's rankings which will count. So, rankings as on 4.11.2019.

Prajnesh has only 29 points to defend this week till then, Sumit has nothing to defend, Duckworth and Diez nothing. So, worst case points for Prajnesh will be 598 points with a ranking of 93, Sumit is 163 points behind him, Duckworth further 13 points behind and Diez 13 points behind Sumit.

So, Prajnesh will surely be the top seed in Pune, seeds 2 to 4 will be between Sumit, Duckworth and Diez.

James Duckworth has just overtaken Sumit in live rankings. So, provided Prajnesh withdraws from there, he will be likely to be top seed in Pune with Sumit as second seed. Diez is not playing this week, so he will most likely be third seed. RamK and Mukund will also be among 5-8 seeds. So, hopefully Sumit, RamK and Mukund can make a run here and take a lot of points from here.

[sameerph]

This is the updated entry list for next week's Pune Challenger-

Main Draw
90 Gunneswaran, Prajnesh (IND)
129 Nagal, Sumit (IND)
133 Duckworth, James (AUS)
136 Diez, Steven (CAN)
150 Jaziri, Malek (TUN)
193 Ramanathan, Ramkumar (IND)
194 Clarke, Jay (GBR)
236 Mukund, Sasikumar (IND)
246 Ortega-Olmedo, Roberto (ESP)
250 Lee, Duckhee (KOR)
259 Myneni, Saketh (IND)
261 Oliveira, Goncalo (POR) Out
275 Ilkel, Cem (TUR)
278 Sekiguchi, Shuichi (JPN)
325 Nedelko, Ivan (RUS)
332 Doumbia, Sadio (FRA) Out
361 Saville, Luke (AUS)
362 Klein, Brydan (GBR)
389 Van Rijthoven, Tim (NED)
394 Fayziev, Sanjar (UZB)
400 Noguchi, Rio (JPN)
417 Grills, Jacob (AUS)
432 Orlov, Vladyslav (UKR) Out
439 Dougaz, Aziz (TUN)
449 Takahashi, Yusuke (JPN)
452 Tokuda, Renta (JPN)
470 Griekspoor, Scott (NED)
473 Bobrov, Bogdan (RUS)
475 Shimabukuro, Sho (JPN)
476 Hemery, Calvin (FRA)
486 Ly, Nam Hoang (VIE)
490 Pecotic, Matija (CRO)
496 Michalski, Daniel (POL) Out
511 Catarina, Lucas (MON)
519 Pichler, David (AUT)
526 Simon, Tobias (GER)
528 Rawat, Sidharth (IND)
529 Patael, Ben (ISR)
536 Kirkin, Ergi (TUR)
546 Kalenichenko, Danylo (UKR)
554 Kadhe, Arjun (IND)

In now
580 Luca Castelnuovo (SUI)
592 Rais Da Silva (BRA)
604 Mats Rosenkranz (GER)
629 Albano Olivetti (FRA)

Entry list looks really weak now and I expect more withdrawals as I do not know how many of those players ranked outside top 500 are going to make it to India only for 1 week when they have little chance of winning more than a round at best. More Indians can get into main draw. Manish Sureshkumar is currently 4 out.

[Rajiv]

Malek Jaziri in the top 5 along with host of players in the lower half have dropped out , and the direct acceptance entry list has now come down to 929.

 Manish Suresh Kumar along with NRI Ajeet Rai at 903 makes the cut.VSP at 988 is just a spot away from making it to the main draw.