Federico Cina emerges victorious at the Maha Open ATP Challenger in Pune after a hard-fought battle against Felix Gill, saving multiple match points in a thrilling final.
Key Points
- Federico Cina defeated Felix Gill to win the Maha Open ATP Challenger in a thrilling three-set match.
- Cina saved five match points in the third set to secure the victory.
- The final match lasted two hours and 29 minutes, showcasing intense baseline exchanges.
- Cina dominated the third-set tie-break, winning it 7-1.
- The Maha Open ATP Challenger champion, Federico Cina, was awarded USD 17,000 and 75 ATP ranking points.
Sixth seed Federico Cina saved five match points to edge past Britain's Felix Gill to win the Maha Open ATP Challenger 75 Men's Tennis Championship here on Sunday.
In a thrilling contest lasting two hours and 29 minutes, Cina held his nerve in the decisive tie-break to prevail 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(1).
The Italian looked in control after taking the opening set 6-3 with aggressive baseline play and solid serving. However, Gill fought back strongly in the second set, breaking at a crucial stage to level the match at one set apiece.
Intense Third Set Decides the Champion
The third set witnessed high-quality rallies and intense baseline exchanges, with neither player willing to concede ground.
Cina was down five times on his serve at 5-6 with his back to the wall and facing match points , but he valiantly fought his way back every time to disappoint Gill in front of a capacity crowd backing him.
He held on to force a third set tie-break in which the 18-year-old Cina, a native of Palermo, raised his level remarkably, dominating the breaker 7-1 to seal the championship in commanding fashion.
The singles champion was awarded a trophy, USD 17,000 and 75 ATP ranking points, while the runner-up received a trophy, USD 9,600 and 40 ATP ranking points.
© 2026