Kolkata, March 15 – Karan Singh put up a strong fight before losing to Australia's Philip Sekulic in the final of the ITF Men's World Tennis Tour M25 Kolkata tournament on Sunday.
In the singles final played at the Bengal Tennis Association stadium, Karan Singh, who represents the Roundglass Tennis Academy, faced a challenging first set but bounced back strongly in the second. He pushed his Australian opponent to the limit, taking the second set to a tie-break before ultimately losing 1-6, 6-7.
Despite the loss in the title match, Karan's impressive run to the final of the $25,000 hard-court event highlights his growing physical and tactical maturity on the professional circuit.
On his way to the final, the second-seeded Karan Singh displayed exceptional form. He began his campaign with a hard-fought 7-6(5), 6-4 victory over compatriot Aditya Balsekar in the first round. In the second round, he confidently defeated Russia's Bekhan Atlangeriev 6-2, 7-6(4).
Karan then showed immense determination in the quarterfinals, overcoming eighth seed Yurii Dzhavakian of Ukraine in a grueling three-setter, coming back from a set down to win 6-7, 6-3, 7-5. He repeated this resilient performance in the semifinals, staging another impressive comeback to defeat fellow Indian Sidharth Rawat 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 and secure his spot in the title match.
The runner-up finish in Kolkata adds to Karan's string of strong and consistent performances this year on the professional circuit. Earlier this season in January, the 22-year-old clinched the ITF M15 Hyderabad singles title – his first professional singles title on Indian soil by stunning top seed Max Houkes of the Netherlands in straight sets.
Furthermore, Karan's growing stature has seen him consistently compete at higher-level ATP Challenger 100 and 75 events this year, making main draw appearances in Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, and New Delhi.
His continuous growth, ability to challenge higher-ranked opponents, and dominant on-court presence recently earned him a well-deserved spot as a member of the Indian Davis Cup squad, cementing his position as one of the country's most promising tennis stars.
Karan trains at the Roundglass Tennis Academy in Chandigarh, where he continues to hone his all-around game.