SM Krishna Open: Adil Kalyanpur/Mukund Sasikumar reach men's doubles final
Synopsis
Adil Kalyanpur and Mukund Sasikumar upstaged the second-seeded Irish-Australian pair in straight sets to reach the SM Krishna Memorial Open doubles final in Bengaluru — keeping India's flag flying in the tournament even as Poonacha and Myneni, fresh off a Karnataka Open title, fell tamely to the Kazakhstani pair. On the singles side, a two-and-a-half-hour semifinal double-header sets up an Ivashka vs Biryukov final.
Key Takeaways
Adil Kalyanpur and Mukund Sasikumar beat second seeds Charles Barry / Joshua Charlton 6-4, 6-3 to reach the SM Krishna Memorial Open men's doubles final.
Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha and Saketh Myneni — last week's Karnataka Open Doubles champions — lost 3-6, 4-6 to Biryukov / Lomakin (Kazakhstan).
Ilya Ivashka defeated third seed Hamish Stewart (GBR) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in the men's singles semifinal.
Fourth seed Petr Bar Biryukov edged second seed Alastair Gray (GBR) 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) in a two-hour-plus thriller.
The men's singles final will be contested between Ivashka and Biryukov .
Indian doubles pair Adil Kalyanpur and Mukund Sasikumar advanced to the men's doubles final of the SM Krishna Memorial Open in Bengaluru on 23 May, defeating the second-seeded combination of Charles Barry (Ireland) and Joshua Charlton (Australia) 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinal. The straight-sets victory keeps Indian hopes alive in the doubles draw at the Bengaluru tournament.
Kalyanpur and Sasikumar's Dominant Run
The Indian duo were clinical throughout their semifinal, breaking down the Irish-Australian second seeds with controlled aggression. Their win continues an impressive run at the tournament and sets up a final appearance for the pair. Notably, the victory builds on the growing momentum of Indian doubles tennis on the domestic circuit.
Poonacha and Myneni Exit in Doubles
The other Indian doubles combination in the draw, Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha and Saketh Myneni — who had claimed the Karnataka Open Doubles title just a week earlier — were eliminated in straight sets by the Kazakhstani pair of Petr Bar Biryukov and Grigoriy Lomakin, going down 3-6, 4-6. The defeat was a sharp contrast to their recent form and ends their run at the SM Krishna Memorial Open.
Ivashka Edges Stewart in Singles Thriller
In men's singles, former top-50 player Ilya Ivashka produced a composed display to defeat Britain's third seed Hamish Stewart 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in a semifinal that stretched beyond two hours. The Belarusian struck first by breaking serve in the second game of the opening set and held firm to take it 6-3.
Stewart fought back in the second set, finding greater depth on returns and securing breaks in the second and eighth games to level at 6-3. However, the decisive third set belonged to Ivashka, who forced errors from Stewart and earned crucial breaks in the sixth and eighth games to close out the match 6-2 after two hours and five minutes. Stewart edged the ace count 8-5, but Ivashka proved more clinical at key moments.
Biryukov Survives Gray Scare in Second Semifinal
Fourth seed Petr Bar Biryukov outlasted second seed Alastair Gray (Great Britain) in a dramatic 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) encounter lasting two hours and one minute. Gray started sharply, breaking in the opening and ninth games to claim the first set 6-3, before Biryukov found another gear in the second, earning the decisive break in the fifth game to level the match.
The final set swung repeatedly — Biryukov broke in the fifth game but Gray broke back in the tenth to force a tie-break. Biryukov's first serve proved decisive in the pressure moments, helping him edge the breaker 7-5 and book his place in the final. He will face Ilya Ivashka in the singles final, while Kalyanpur and Sasikumar await their doubles final opponents.
Full Semifinal Results
Men's Singles: Ilya Ivashka bt 3-Hamish Stewart (GBR) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2; 4-Petr Bar Biryukov bt 2-Alastair Gray (GBR) 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5).
Men's Doubles: Adil Kalyanpur / Mukund Sasikumar (IND) bt 2-Charles Barry (IRL) / Joshua Charlton (AUS) 6-4, 6-3; Petr Bar Biryukov / Grigoriy Lomakin (KAZ) bt Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha / Saketh Myneni (IND) 6-3, 6-4.
Point of View
A discipline that has historically punched below its weight at home events. That they eliminated the second-seeded pair in straight sets — while the more decorated Poonacha-Myneni combination crumbled — suggests depth is building in unexpected places. The SM Krishna Memorial Open, with its mix of ATP-ranked internationals and domestic hopefuls, is also proving a useful litmus test ahead of the grass-court season. Whether the Indian pair can convert a final appearance into a title will say much about how far that progress extends under pressure.
NationPress
8 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who reached the men's doubles final at the SM Krishna Memorial Open 2025?
Indian pair Adil Kalyanpur and Mukund Sasikumar reached the men's doubles final at the SM Krishna Memorial Open in Bengaluru on 23 May 2025, after defeating second seeds Charles Barry (Ireland) and Joshua Charlton (Australia) 6-4, 6-3.
What were the men's singles semifinal results at the SM Krishna Open?
Ilya Ivashka defeated third seed Hamish Stewart (GBR) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, while fourth seed Petr Bar Biryukov beat second seed Alastair Gray (GBR) 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5). Both matches lasted over two hours.
How did Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha and Saketh Myneni fare at the SM Krishna Open?
Poonacha and Myneni were eliminated in the doubles semifinals, losing 3-6, 4-6 to Kazakhstan's Petr Bar Biryukov and Grigoriy Lomakin. The defeat came just a week after the Indian pair had won the Karnataka Open Doubles title.
Who will contest the SM Krishna Memorial Open men's singles final?
Ilya Ivashka will face fourth seed Petr Bar Biryukov in the men's singles final, after both came through gruelling two-hour-plus semifinal victories on 23 May.
What is the SM Krishna Memorial Open?
The SM Krishna Memorial Open is a tennis tournament held in Bengaluru, India, featuring both singles and doubles draws with a mix of international ATP-ranked players and Indian competitors.
