Fenesta Open 2026: Manish Sureshkumar, Vaidehee Chaudhari Make Winning Starts as Soha Sadiq Stuns Sixth Seed

The defending champion wasted little time settling into the 31st Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship.

Top seed Manish Sureshkumar opened his title defence with a convincing straight-sets victory at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi on Monday, while women's top seed Vaidehee Chaudhari was even more dominant. The day also produced the tournament's first major upset, with Soha Sadiq eliminating sixth seed Jennifer Luikham.

Sureshkumar defeated Maharashtra's Prasad Ingale 6-1, 6-2 in 61 minutes, while Chaudhari dispatched Riya Sachdeva 6-0, 6-1 in 56 minutes. For Sureshkumar, the opening-round performance was less about forcing the issue and more about establishing rhythm.

The 27-year-old Tamil Nadu player, who is chasing his third Fenesta Open title, kept the ball in play consistently and put pressure on Ingale to produce the errors. His serving was particularly effective, allowing him to control the early exchanges without being dragged into extended rallies. "It was a good start. I just tried to be solid because it was the first match," Sureshkumar said after the win.

That approach was reflected in the scoreline. He conceded only three games across the match and closed out the contest in just over an hour.

Sureshkumar's confidence is also rooted in his record at the tournament. The defending champion has already won the Fenesta Open twice and considers the DLTA courts among his favourite venues. His first-round victory was therefore the beginning of another attempt to add to an already successful association with the championship.

Last year's campaign had not started particularly well, but Sureshkumar recovered to win the title. That experience could prove useful again as he navigates the early rounds. The top seed will now look to build momentum as the draw becomes progressively tougher.

Chaudhari Barely Gives Opponent a Chance

If Sureshkumar was controlled, Vaidehee Chaudhari was ruthless. The women's top seed won the first 11 games of her opening-round match before Sachdeva finally got on the scoreboard. Chaudhari eventually completed a 6-0, 6-1 victory. The performance marked an encouraging return to a tournament where she has enjoyed considerable success. Chaudhari is a two-time Fenesta Open champion, having lifted the title in 2022 and 2024. She missed last year's championship because of injury, making her return to the DLTA Complex particularly significant.

The Gujarat player admitted she had hoped to complete a double bagel after racing to a 6-0, 5-0 advantage, but Sachdeva fought back to win a game. The larger picture, however, was emphatic. Chaudhari dropped just one game and completed the first round in under an hour. The second seed, Shruti Ahlawat, also advanced, defeating Chevika Sama 6-4, 6-0. Third seed Akanksha Nitture survived a tighter contest against Lakshmi Gowda, winning 7-6, 7-6.

The day's biggest surprise came from Soha Sadiq, who knocked out sixth seed Jennifer Luikham 6-4, 6-1 in 86 minutes. Sadiq entered the match knowing she was facing one of the seeded players, but once the contest settled, she took control and never allowed Luikham to regain momentum. The 28-year-old's preparation for the championship had been focused specifically on the tournament, and she was pleased to see that work translate into her biggest result of the opening day.

For Sadiq, the victory was more than an upset on paper. It was proof that her preparation had translated into competitive execution against a seeded opponent.

The men's draw also produced a combination of expected results and an upset. Third seed Nitin Sinha defeated K Suresh 6-2, 6-2, while sixth seed Maan Kesharwani beat Vansh Bisht 6-4, 6-4.

Eighth seed Rohan Mehra survived a tougher test against A. Senthilkumar, winning 6-3, 5-7, 6-2. The upset came when Parth Aggarwal defeated seventh seed Madhwin Kamath 7-5, 1-6, 6-2.

Pranav Karthik and Debasis Sahoo also advanced from their opening-round matches. Meanwhile, the men's qualifying competition concluded with eight players earning places in the main draw. Top seed Suraj R Prabodh progressed with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Aditya Satpathy, while experienced campaigner Lakshit Sood also secured qualification.

Youngsters Aditya Mor and Prakaash Sarran were among the other qualifiers.

The Fenesta Open is not limited to the senior national championship, and the junior draws also got underway on Monday. In the Boys' Under-18 singles, top seed Praneel Sharma produced one of the day's most dominant scorelines, beating Ritvik Dutt 6-0, 6-0 in under an hour. Fourth seed Om Ramesh Patel, seventh seed Parjanya Adury and eighth seed Kushagra Arora also advanced in straight sets.

The Girls' Under-18 competition began with the top 16 seeds receiving byes into the second round. Among those progressing through the opening round were Riddhi Shinde, Paavani Bisht, Pooja Nagaraj and Sanidya Karantoth. The junior competition remains an important component of the Fenesta Open's broader purpose: creating a national platform where emerging players can compete alongside the country's established domestic names.

The first day delivered precisely the combination a national championship needs dominant performances from its leading seeds, a significant upset, and opportunities for the next generation. Sureshkumar and Chaudhari made their intentions clear from the outset. Sadiq, meanwhile, ensured that the women's draw already has a storyline beyond the top seeds. With the tournament continuing at the DLTA Complex, the early rounds will begin to separate the contenders from the rest.

For the defending champion, the two-time women's champion and the players attempting to break through, the Fenesta Open title race is only beginning.