In the final, he will play compatriot Rohan Gajjar, who gets another chance to win the title that slipped out of his grasp in last week’s final. Gajjar outlasted top seed Kento Takeuchi in a gritty three-setter which went the distance to the third-set tie-break, ending 6-4 4-6 7-6 (5).

The serve was where the Indian looked slightly wobbly, and he gave away points at crucial moments of the match, giving away games on his serve, and at one instance, even surrendering a set. In the first, he got the first break of the match in the sixth game, only to give it away in the next, but clinched the set after breaking Takeuchi in the tenth.

The Japanese, who had been watching the first match of the day and was perhaps inspired by the turnaround that Vishnu managed, began his own comeback attempt in the second. Of course, he was aided in this quest by poor serving from Gajjar, who gifted the second set away on a double fault when he was serving to stay in the set.

Gajjar seemed determined not to let this one get away, though, and he broke Takeuchi in the fourth game to put himself ahead in the decider. But another double fault came in his way and put the match back on serve in the seventh, and the tired players had to get ready for the tie-break. It was the Indian who managed to last the distance.