Prajnesh advances to Round 2

Prajnesh Gunneswaran. Pic/AFP

India's Prajnesh Gunneswaran knocked out third seed Colombian Daniel Elahi Galan from the Australian Open Qualifiers with a straight set victory, here on Monday.

Ranked 221, left-handed Prajnesh beat 119th ranked Galan 6-4 6-4 in one hour and 13 minutes in the first round at court number six of the Melbourne Park.

He will next take on the winner of the match between Germany's Maximilian Marterer and Croatia's Nino Serdarusic. Prajnesh hit a crushing backhand winner from the middle of the court to open up a break opportunity in the third game of the opening set and converted the second chance with a deep return that Galan sent on the net with his forehand.

With similar style and strategy, both the players were trying to make deep returns and dispatched the short balls for easy winners. It was about who did it more consistently. Prajnesh's better service games stood him in good stead. The break stayed with the Indian and he served the opening set at love.

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