New Delhi: Yuki Bhambri on Monday won his first ATP Challenger level singles title of the season and second of his career after humbling top seed American Bradely Klahn in the rain-hit summit clash of the Traralgon event in Australia.
The 21-year-old Indian pipped his higher-ranked rival 6-7 (13), 6-3, 6-4 in the final, which could not be completed on Sunday due to rain.
Yuki, ranked 277, was leading 4-2 in the final set on Sunday when skies opened up and forced suspension of play.
Playing his second Challenger final of the season, the Indian youngster took the court and held his nerves to emerge winner against a player, who was ranked 149 places above him.
It was Yuki's third straight win over a higher-ranked opponent in this tournament. He had beaten Japanese Tatsuma (191) Ito and James Duckworth (147) of Australia en route to final.
The victory was a sweet revenge for Yuki as he had lost to Bradley, ranked 123, in July this year in Binghamton.
Yuki had won his first singles title on the Challenger tour last year in Fergana, Uzbekistan. In September, Yuki had ended runner-up to Chinese Taipei's Yen-Hsun Lu in the Kaohsiung event in Taiwan.
Yuki earned 80 ranking points and pocketed $7,200 as prize money for his effort.
Courtesy to this title win, Yuki leapfrogged 73 places to 204 in the singles rankings even as Rohan Bopanna dropped out of the top-10 in the doubles chart.
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