In one of the most gripping stories to emerge from the Knoxville Challenger qualifiers, India’s Dhakshineswar Suresh produced back-to-back three-set victories to storm into the main draw overcoming injury, exhaustion, and emotional turbulence along the way.
The 25-year-old from Chennai, ranked ATP 528, first defeated his close friend and former college teammate Luca Pow (GBR) 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(4) in a bruising opener, before rallying past Quinn Vandecasteele (USA) 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the final qualifying round. It was not just a display of tennis skill, but of grit, pain tolerance, and heart.
The Friendship Clash: When Emotion Meets Competition
The match against Luca Pow his former teammate from college tennis in the U.S. was deeply personal. Both players knew each other’s game inside out, their rallies filled with familiar patterns and mutual respect.
Suresh began strongly, breaking twice to take the opening set 6-2 with his booming first serve and heavy topspin forehand. But midway through the second set, disaster struck a shoulder injury that visibly hampered his service motion. His speed on returns dipped, and Pow capitalized, running away with the set 6-2.
And hang in he did. The decider became a battle of endurance and belief. Despite being broken early, Suresh fought back, using placement over power, mixing in slices and drop shots to keep the rallies alive. When he earned a break and served for the match at 5-4, his body seemed to betray him again a double fault and two loose errors gave Pow the break back.
In the deciding tiebreak, Suresh fell behind 1-3, his shoulder visibly taped and his movement slowing. But a clutch ace followed by two punishing forehand winners flipped the momentum. At 6-4, he forced an error from Pow and let out a roar of relief and disbelief victory secured after two hours of sheer struggle.
It wasn’t just a win. It was a survival story.
Turning Pain into Purpose: The Next Day’s Challenge
Barely 24 hours later, with his shoulder still sore, Suresh was back on court to face Quinn Vandecasteele, the American ranked 669 and seeded 8th in qualifying. The challenge? A fresher, more physical opponent on indoor hard courts, where serve-dominant players thrive.
The first set offered little hope for the Indian. His first-serve percentage dropped to 69%, and he managed only 30% of second-serve points. Vandecasteele, aggressive on returns, broke twice to take it 6-2. But the Indian refused to yield. In the second set, Suresh steadied his serve, reducing his pace slightly to find more accuracy, and began using his forehand more effectively to control rallies. He saved two break points at 3-3 both with unreturned serves before capitalizing on his only break point opportunity at 6-5, sealing the set 7-5 with a composed hold.
By the third, Suresh had found rhythm and confidence. The serve though not at full power began clicking. His numbers told the story of composure: 10 aces, 2 double faults, and 74% first-serve points won. More impressively, he won 62% of points on his second serve, an area where he was clearly compromised by the shoulder.
Suresh broke early to go up 3-1 but was immediately broken back, yet his resolve never wavered. At 4-3, he broke Vandecasteele again this time with an aggressive return winner and closed out the match 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.
By the Numbers: How DK Survived
- Aces: 10
- First Serve Points Won: 74%
- Second Serve Points Won: 62%
- Break Points Converted: 43% (3/7)
- Return Efficiency: 53% of second-serve return points won
In tennis terms, these are the metrics of resilience a player not overpowering opponents, but outlasting them through precision and fight.
What makes Suresh’s run in Knoxville special is the context. The 25-year-old, who trained extensively in the U.S. college system before transitioning to the professional circuit, has been battling for consistency on the Challenger Tour. His ranking 528 reflects a player hovering on the edge of the Challenger-main-draw threshold, often needing to play grueling qualifiers just to get a chance on the big stage.
This week, he didn’t just qualify; he did so while fighting injury and emotion taking down two opponents, both ranked within 350 places of him, across more than four hours of tennis.
With qualification secured, Suresh now enters the main draw of the Knoxville Challenger 2025 a hard-court event that has launched several top-100 careers. His first-round opponent will be determined in the upcoming draw, but the focus for now will be on recovery.
His shoulder remains a concern, but if his grit and composure over the past 48 hours are any indication, Dhakshineswar Suresh is not done surprising the tennis world.
Main Draw Awaits. The Indian survives, advances, and inspires.
Final Scores:
- Q1: Suresh def. Luca Pow (GBR) 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(4)
- Q2: Suresh def. Quinn Vandecasteele (USA) 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
India’s fighter from Chennai is through to the Knoxville Challenger main draw and he’s earned every bit of it.
