Digvijay Pratap Singh Overcomes Emotional Week to Clinch ITF M15 Title in Baku

Digvijay Pratap Singh had to navigate far more than a demanding tennis draw in Baku. In the middle of tournament week, the Indian lost his grandfather. Four days later, he was lifting an ITF Men's World Tennis Tour M15 trophy.

The Roundglass Tennis Academy athlete completed an emotionally charged week by defeating top seed Millen Hurrion of Great Britain 6-4, 6-4 in Sunday's final in Baku, Azerbaijan. Singh, the second seed and ranked No. 552 in the ATP rankings according to the tournament account, never allowed the occasion to overwhelm his performance as he secured the title in straight sets.

Singh dedicated the victory to his grandfather, who passed away on October 1, in the middle of the tournament. The circumstances made the title more than another entry on his professional record. It became a test of whether he could keep his competitive focus intact while dealing with a deeply personal loss.

He did exactly that.

Singh's route to the title was anything but straightforward. He began his campaign against Russia's Dmitry Bessonov, producing a composed 6-1, 6-4 victory. The Indian then faced Great Britain's Oscar Brown in the Round of 16, where he was forced to work considerably harder before prevailing 6-3, 7-6.

The quarter-final brought another tight contest against Turkey's Arda Azkara. Singh held his nerve in both sets to win 7-5, 7-6. The pattern was clear: the Indian was not simply progressing through the draw; he was repeatedly being asked to close out close sets.

That became even more important in the semi-final.

Seventh seed Marcus Walters of Great Britain provided Singh with his toughest examination of the tournament. The semi-final developed into a three-set contest in which neither player was able to establish sustained control. Singh took the opening set in a tie-break, surrendered the second 4-6, and was forced into another deciding-set tie-break.

Again, he delivered when the margin was at its smallest. Singh won the final set 7-6 to complete a 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 victory and book his place in the championship match.

The scoreline underlined the mental demands of his run. Twice against Walters, Singh had to navigate the pressure of a tie-break. Winning both gave him the opportunity to play for the title the following day. And waiting for him was the tournament's top seed.

Singh Takes Down the Top Seed

Hurrion entered the final ranked above Singh, with the British player listed at ATP No. 537 compared with Singh's No. 552. The ranking gap, however, proved irrelevant once the final began.

Singh won both sets 6-4, maintaining enough control to avoid another deciding-set battle and completing his title run without dropping a set in the championship match. The victory was also significant in the context of Singh's entire week. After playing four increasingly demanding rounds, including the three-set semi-final, he still had the composure to produce his most efficient performance when the trophy was at stake.

The final score 6-4, 6-4 reflected a player who had learned to manage the important moments throughout the tournament.

The emotional circumstances surrounding the victory inevitably make the achievement stand out. Singh's grandfather died on October 1, when the tournament was already underway. Rather than withdrawing, the Indian continued through the draw and ultimately dedicated the title to him. Professional tennis requires players to maintain routines even when circumstances outside the cort are difficult. Tournament weeks are built around fixed schedules, recovery windows and matches that cannot simply be postponed because of personal events.

Singh's run therefore demanded another kind of endurance alongside the physical demands of hard-court tennis. His semi-final against Walters was particularly revealing. After winning a first-set tie-break, he lost the second set and had to start again in the decider. In the final set, he again took the match to a tie-break — and again found a way through.

Those moments provided the competitive foundation for Sunday's final.

Singh's Baku title also adds to a strong period for Roundglass Tennis Academy on the ITF circuit. The Chandigarh-based academy has increasingly focused on supporting Indian players as they transition into professional tennis, and Singh's latest title adds another international trophy to that development pathway. The timing is notable because another RGTA athlete, Karan Singh, had recently won back-to-back ITF M15 titles in Bali, further highlighting the academy's current presence on the lower levels of the professional circuit.

For players operating around the ATP rankings outside the established top tier, M15 tournaments remain important stepping stones. Titles at this level provide ranking points, match experience, and the confidence required to move towards stronger events.

Singh's Baku campaign provided all three.

The numbers will record a straightforward achievement: second seed Digvijay Pratap Singh defeated top seed Millen Hurrion 6-4, 6-4 to win the ITF M15 title in Baku. But the story behind those numbers is considerably more personal. Singh lost his grandfather during the tournament and still managed to navigate four rounds, survive two tie-breaks in the semi-final and then defeat the top seed in the final.

The trophy is therefore not simply a reward for a successful week on court. It is a title won during one of the most emotionally difficult weeks of his career and one that Singh will remember for reasons that extend far beyond tennis.