Bengaluru, May 22 -- Russian qualifier Petr Bar Biryukov staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Great Britain's Alastair Gray 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) in the semifinal of the S M Krishna Memorial Open 2026 singles event here on Friday, with the match turning sharply after a decisive shift in the second set.
Gray had taken early control of the contest, comfortably sealing the opening set 6-3 with aggressive baseline play and strong first-serve execution that kept Bar Biryukov under constant pressure.
However, the momentum of the match changed in the second set when Bar Biryukov significantly raised his first-serve efficiency and began dictating longer rallies. This shift disrupted Gray's rhythm and reduced his dominance on return games, allowing t...