An Indian presence in the doubles winners’ circle is now guaranteed at the Chennai Open ATP Challenger 2026, with top seeds Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha and Pruchya Isaro setting up a title clash against the unseeded Indo-British pairing of Mukund Sasikumar and Jay Clarke at the SDAT Tennis Stadium, Nungambakkam.
The top-seeded Indo-Thai duo continued their strong run with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over third seeds S.D. Prajwal Dev and Nitin Kumar Sinha in Friday’s semi-final. The contest began with Poonacha and Isaro racing to a 5-1 lead in the opening set, only for Dev and Sinha to claw their way back to 5-4. However, the favourites regained composure to close out the set 6-4 before asserting complete control in the second to seal the match comfortably.
“I believe we played more aggressive and with a lot of energy today,” Poonacha said after the win. “We were able to get the lead at the start but we dozed off a bit which gave them a chance to come back, but we are happy we closed it. I know them pretty well, both are close friends. I would say they didn’t play as well as they usually do — just wasn’t their day.”
Poonacha is chasing his seventh ATP Challenger doubles title, while Isaro is targeting his fourth. The pair have already tasted success together, lifting the Shanghai Challenger trophy in 2025. Fresh from their Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open last month, they now stand one win away from another title.
“I love to play in Chennai,” Isaro said. “I feel I am playing in my second home and want to thank everyone for supporting us. We played super good today and I hope we get better and better as a team.”
Standing in their way will be Mukund and Clarke, who survived a dramatic semi-final against Britain’s Felix Gill and Alastair Gray. The Indo-British combination saved a match point before prevailing 7-6, 4-6, 13-11 in a tense super tie-break. Their composure under pressure sets up a compelling final, with home support expected to add to the occasion.
Singles Semi-Finals Take Shape
Earlier in the day, second seed Federico Agustin Gomez of Argentina booked his place in the singles semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Kazakhstan’s Denis Yevseyev. The 29-year-old, a four-time ATP Challenger singles champion, controlled proceedings with disciplined baseline play and efficient serving.
Gomez will next face fourth seed Ilia Simakin, who continued his impressive form with a hard-fought 7-6, 4-6, 7-5 win over big-serving Petr Bar Biryukov. For the second consecutive day, Simakin was pushed to the distance, having also endured a three-set battle in the previous round. The 22-year-old Russian is currently riding a nine-match winning streak after claiming his maiden Challenger title in Thailand last week, underlining his growing confidence at this level.
In the other semi-final, sixth seed Frederico Ferreira Silva of Portugal will take on Poland’s Maks Kasnikowski. Ferreira Silva, still searching for his first ATP Challenger singles title, has yet to drop a set this week and advanced with a composed 6-2, 6-4 win over Greece’s Ioannis Xilas.
Kasnikowski, a two-time Challenger champion, has also been efficient, defeating Switzerland’s Luca Castelnuovo 6-3, 7-6 to reach the last four. Like Ferreira Silva, he has progressed through the draw without losing a set, setting up a semi-final that promises high-quality baseline exchanges.
The Chennai Open ATP Challenger, featuring a 32-player singles main draw and a competitive doubles field, carries a prize purse of USD 63,000 and offers 50 ranking points to the singles champion. The doubles champions will earn USD 2,980 and valuable ranking points as well.
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With the doubles final scheduled for Saturday and the singles final on Sunday, the tournament is poised for an engaging finish. An all-India interest in the doubles title clash and a tightly contested singles line-up ensure a fitting conclusion to one of India’s key stops on the ATP Challenger circuit, ahead of subsequent events in Delhi and Pune.
