Manas Dhamne Pulls Off Big Upset at Manama Challenger Qualifiers
Eighteen-year-old Indian teenager Manas Dhamne recorded the second-biggest win of his career by opponent ranking, stunning world No. 259 Benjamin Hassan of Lebanon in the first round of qualifying at the ATP 125 Manama Challenger.
Ranked 502, Dhamne showed impressive resilience in a hard-fought battle. The opening set swung dramatically, with the Indian leading 3–1 before falling behind 3–5, then fighting back to force a tiebreak. Hassan eventually edged the tiebreak in a tight finish, but Dhamne stayed composed to seal the upset in a long tussle.
With the win, Dhamne moves into the final qualifying round, where he will face Norway’s Viktor Durasovic (ATP No. 329) on Tuesday for a place in the main draw. Hassan was top seeded in the qualifying draw of this event. Dhamne is coming off a good run at the ATP 125 Bengaluru Challenger earlier this month, where he made the quarter-final beating two players ranked in the ATP Top 300.
