Cary (US), Nov 16 (IANS): Indian tennis player Prajnesh Gunneswaran ended as runner's up in the men's singles event of the Atlantic Tire Championships after suffering a hard-fought defeat against America's Denis Kudla in the summit clash of the ATP Challenger event.

Gunneswaran lost 6-3, 3-6, 0-6 to Kudla in the final of the $52,080 Challenger tennis tournament played on Sunday.

The fourth-seeded Indian started off the match in emphatic fashion, winning the first set. However, the second-seeded American came back strongly in the next two sets and eventually won the match to take home the title.

Gunneswaran had entered the finals after getting a walkover against Denmark's marathon man Mikael Torpegaard on Saturday. Before that, the 146th ranked Indian had defeated Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(5) in a very back and forth match among the two left-handers to make it to the semi-finals.

Earlier, he had beaten America's Jack Sock 6-7 (3), 6-2, 7-6(5) in the second-round contest.