<p>Bengaluru: Pressure of expectations for fancied players make first-round encounters a tricky affair for them even as lower-ranked opponents look to drive home that advantage.</p>.<p>A similar scenario played out on the opening day of the Bengaluru Open at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) here on Monday. </p>.<p>Fourth-seeded Elmer Moller of Denmark, ranked 155 in the world, failed to live up to his reputation as he went down 3-6, 4-6 to unseeded Nicolas Mejia, the World No. 209, who exhibited brave tennis. </p>.<p>The 25-year-old Mejia found an early break in the second game to take a 2-0 lead before holding his serve to make it 3-0. That one slip from Moller was enough for the Colombian to seal the first set. </p>.Comesana stuns world number two Zverev in Rio Open.<p>The script in the second was no different, except that the 21-year-old Moller made a late charge by breaking his opponent’s serve in the eight game. However, Mejia had already capitalised on the two breaks (third and fifth) he had earned to stay 5-3 ahead. Though Moller held the ninth, his sprint to catch-up was a tad late as Mejia held his serve in the 10th to close out the match on a confident note. </p>.<p>Local lad SD Prajwal Dev was also up against a higher-ranked Marek Gengel of Czech Republic. </p>.<p>The Mysuru boy, well-aware of the Bengaluru conditions, came close but Gengel stayed composed despite losing the first set to pull himself through to a 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-3 victory. </p>.<p><strong>Karan qualifies</strong></p>.<p>In a battle between two Indians for a main draw spot, Karan Singh got the better of Aryan Shah in straight sets 6-4, 7-6 (6). </p>.<p>Karan became the only Indian to advance to the main draw while most of his compatriots had suffered defeats in their opening qualifying rounds on Sunday. The only other player from the host nation, Sasikumar Mukund, in action in the second qualifying round on Monday lost 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to Czech Republic’s Hynek Barton. </p>.<p>Results: Main draw: First round (prefix denotes seedings, Indians unless mentioned): Nicolas Mejia (Col) bt 4-Elmer Moller (Den) 6-3, 6-4; Blake Ellis (Aus) bt Michael Geerts (Bel) 6-7 (2), 6-4, 7-6 (6); Rio Noguchi (Jpn) bt Justin Engel (Ger) 7-5, 6-2; Marek Gengel (Cze) bt SD Prajwal Dev 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-3.</p>.<p>Final qualifying round (only Indian results): Karan Singh bt Aryan Shah 6-4, 7-6 (6); 6-Hynek Barton (Cze) bt Sasikumar Mukund 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Pressure of expectations for fancied players make first-round encounters a tricky affair for them even as lower-ranked opponents look to drive home that advantage.</p>.<p>A similar scenario played out on the opening day of the Bengaluru Open at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) here on Monday. </p>.<p>Fourth-seeded Elmer Moller of Denmark, ranked 155 in the world, failed to live up to his reputation as he went down 3-6, 4-6 to unseeded Nicolas Mejia, the World No. 209, who exhibited brave tennis. </p>.<p>The 25-year-old Mejia found an early break in the second game to take a 2-0 lead before holding his serve to make it 3-0. That one slip from Moller was enough for the Colombian to seal the first set. </p>.Comesana stuns world number two Zverev in Rio Open.<p>The script in the second was no different, except that the 21-year-old Moller made a late charge by breaking his opponent’s serve in the eight game. However, Mejia had already capitalised on the two breaks (third and fifth) he had earned to stay 5-3 ahead. Though Moller held the ninth, his sprint to catch-up was a tad late as Mejia held his serve in the 10th to close out the match on a confident note. </p>.<p>Local lad SD Prajwal Dev was also up against a higher-ranked Marek Gengel of Czech Republic. </p>.<p>The Mysuru boy, well-aware of the Bengaluru conditions, came close but Gengel stayed composed despite losing the first set to pull himself through to a 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-3 victory. </p>.<p><strong>Karan qualifies</strong></p>.<p>In a battle between two Indians for a main draw spot, Karan Singh got the better of Aryan Shah in straight sets 6-4, 7-6 (6). </p>.<p>Karan became the only Indian to advance to the main draw while most of his compatriots had suffered defeats in their opening qualifying rounds on Sunday. The only other player from the host nation, Sasikumar Mukund, in action in the second qualifying round on Monday lost 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to Czech Republic’s Hynek Barton. </p>.<p>Results: Main draw: First round (prefix denotes seedings, Indians unless mentioned): Nicolas Mejia (Col) bt 4-Elmer Moller (Den) 6-3, 6-4; Blake Ellis (Aus) bt Michael Geerts (Bel) 6-7 (2), 6-4, 7-6 (6); Rio Noguchi (Jpn) bt Justin Engel (Ger) 7-5, 6-2; Marek Gengel (Cze) bt SD Prajwal Dev 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-3.</p>.<p>Final qualifying round (only Indian results): Karan Singh bt Aryan Shah 6-4, 7-6 (6); 6-Hynek Barton (Cze) bt Sasikumar Mukund 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.</p>