Rank outsider NIki Poonacha served 21 aces and sustained a high-quality game for two hours and 38 minutes to beat Goncalo Oliveira of Portugal 6-3, 6-7(2), 7-6(3) in the first round of the $133,250 Maha Open Challenger tennis tournament at the Balewadi Stadium on Monday.
Ranked a modest 793, the 28-year-old Niki, who had won the singles rubber against Pakistan in the recent Davis Cup tie in Islamabad, came up with the thunderbolts whenever required to tame the 216th-ranked Oliveira.
Coached by Borna Bikic, who travels with him on the Tour, Niki showed that he had sharpened his all-court game, even though he has been more focused in doubles.
