Manas Dhamne Breaks Through in ATP 125 Bahrain Challenger with Gritty Win Over Viktor Durasovic

Eighteen-year-old Manas Dhamne’s steady climb on the ATP Challenger Tour took another significant leap forward in Manama this week as the young Indian booked his place in the main draw of the ATP 125 Bahrain Challenger with a hard-fought 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-3 victory over Norway’s Viktor Durasovic.

Coming a day after he stunned top seed Benjamin Hassan, the win underlined not just Dhamne’s growing belief but also his ability to compete physically and mentally with players ranked well above him.

Ranked 502 in the ATP charts, Dhamne entered the qualifying rounds as a clear underdog. Hassan, his first-round opponent, was ranked 259, while Durasovic, the seventh seed in qualifying, was 329 and had been inside the top 225 as recently as August 2025. Yet over two gruelling matches, the teenager from Pune displayed a level of resilience and baseline consistency that belied his ranking, producing two of the biggest wins of his young professional career.

The match against Durasovic was a marathon in every sense. It lasted two hours and 42 minutes, featured multiple momentum shifts, and demanded both physical endurance and mental clarity. The opening set alone offered a glimpse into the kind of test Dhamne would face. The Indian found himself under pressure early, trailing after being broken, and later had to save two set points in the tiebreak.

At one stage, he was down 0–3 in the breaker and staring at the prospect of losing a set he had fought hard to stay in. Instead of blinking, Dhamne dug in, tightened his shot selection, and began extending rallies, forcing Durasovic into errors off the backhand wing. From that precarious position, he clawed his way back to take the tiebreak 8–6 and snatch the opening set.

That first-set turnaround proved to be a defining moment. Against a player with far more experience on the Challenger circuit, Dhamne showed he could stay composed even when the scoreboard and momentum were against him. It was a theme that would repeat itself across the match.

Durasovic responded in the second set with the authority expected of a higher-ranked player. Using his heavier serve and flatter groundstrokes, the Norwegian found ways to take the initiative, breaking Dhamne and holding serve more comfortably. While the Indian continued to battle, Durasovic’s greater penetration helped him level the match 6–4, pushing the contest into a deciding third set.

What followed was perhaps the most impressive phase of Dhamne’s performance. Many young players struggle to reset after losing a tight second set, particularly against a more established opponent. Dhamne, however, elevated his game. He began reading Durasovic’s serve better, stepping in on second serves and forcing the rallies into patterns that suited his own baseline-heavy style. Twice in the final set he broke Durasovic’s serve, building a lead that he protected with maturity beyond his years to close out the match 6–3.

The statistical snapshot of the match hints at how Dhamne pulled it off. While Durasovic fired seven aces to Dhamne’s one, the Indian was far more effective on second serve, winning 73 percent of those points compared to the Norwegian’s 50 percent. That differential allowed Dhamne to stay in rallies and apply consistent pressure, especially in the longer exchanges. On return, he also won a higher percentage of second-serve points, turning Durasovic’s slight vulnerability into an opening he exploited repeatedly in the deciding set.

This victory marked the sixth-best win of Dhamne’s career in terms of opponent ranking, but perhaps more importantly, it came on the back of another major upset just 24 hours earlier. In the first qualifying round, Dhamne had ousted Benjamin Hassan, the top seed, in a gritty encounter that saw him come back from a set down. Hassan, ranked 259, had arrived in Manama as the favourite to top the qualifying field, making Dhamne’s win all the more significant.

Taken together, the two wins paint a compelling picture of a player learning to navigate the professional circuit. In Bengaluru earlier this year, Dhamne had already hinted at his potential by beating big servers like Matej Dodig and Beibit Zhukayev and reaching his maiden Challenger quarterfinal. Manama has now added another layer to that narrative: the ability to win back-to-back three-set battles against higher-ranked opponents on a low-altitude hard court, where serve and first-strike tennis often dominate.

For Indian tennis, Dhamne’s breakthrough is also encouraging from a developmental standpoint. At 18, he is still adjusting to the physicality and consistency required at Challenger level, but his shot tolerance, backhand stability, and improving serve have already made him competitive. While there is still work to be done particularly in converting first-serve points and adding more bite to his delivery the foundation is clearly there.

Qualifying for the main draw of an ATP 125 Challenger is a milestone that should not be understated. These tournaments sit just below the ATP Tour, and strong performances here can accelerate a player’s rise up the rankings. For Dhamne, the Manama run offers not just valuable points but also the confidence that he belongs in these fields.

As the Bahrain Challenger moves into its main draw, all eyes will be on how the young Indian builds on this momentum. Whether or not he advances further, the twin upsets over Hassan and Durasovic have already sent a clear message: Manas Dhamne is no longer just a promising junior transitioning into the pro game he is beginning to establish himself as a genuine threat on the Challenger circuit.