Chennai Open: Maaya Rajeshwaran scores big upset, Vaishnavi Adkar earns maiden tour win
Indian tennis enjoyed a memorable day at the Chennai Open on Tuesday as two of its promising young players made impressive statements at the WTA 250 event. While Vaishnavi Adkar fought back from the brink to register her maiden WTA Tour-level victory, 17-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi pulled off a major upset by knocking out eighth seed Katarzyna Kawa.
Adkar defeated Britain’s Jodie Burrage 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 after recovering from a 3-5 deficit in the deciding set. Maaya, meanwhile, showed tremendous composure to get past World No.115 Kawa 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5) in a contest that went down to the wire.
The results offered a significant boost to India’s campaign at the tournament, which is being played on home soil at the SDAT Tennis Stadium. Both players entered the main draw as wild cards and had challenging opening-round assignments against more experienced opponents.
For Adkar, the victory marked a breakthrough moment after steadily building her career on the international circuit. Maaya’s triumph was equally encouraging, with the teenager taking down a seeded opponent ranked considerably higher than her.
VAISHNAVI FIGHTS BACK TO SEAL MAIDEN WTA WIN
Pushed to the brink of defeat and battling exhausting humidity, Adkar produced a stirring display of grit and endurance to overcome Burrage in a contest that lasted more than two hours.
The 21-year-old Pune player had a nervous start against the experienced Briton, who has featured in Grand Slam main draws and previously been ranked inside the world’s top 100. Burrage broke Adkar twice to take the opening set 6-3, putting the Indian under early pressure.
Adkar, however, raised her level in the second set. She improved her returns, found greater consistency from the baseline and broke Burrage twice to take the contest into a decider. The Indian also had to negotiate a marathon third game in the second set, saving four break points and surviving six deuces to hold serve.
An early break in the deciding set appeared to put Adkar in control, but Burrage fought back and won two consecutive games on the Indian’s serve to move 5-3 ahead. With the finish line in sight for the Briton, Adkar showed remarkable resilience.
She broke back to make it 4-5 before putting Burrage under pressure again in the 11th game. A cleverly executed drop shot helped her reach deuce, before a forehand winner earned her a break point. Burrage then sent a forehand long to hand Adkar the advantage.
The Indian showed no nerves while serving for the match, closing it out at love to complete a memorable 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory.
Former Indian doubles star Rohan Bopanna, who coaches at the academy where Adkar trains, was in her corner throughout the contest, urging her to keep the pressure on.
“Make her play every ball, keep at it, keep at it,” Bopanna was heard telling the Indian as the match wore on.
Adkar will next face seventh seed Anastasia Zakharova of Russia, who defeated Polina Iatcenko 7-6(3), 6-1 in her opening-round match.
MAAYA STUNS WORLD NO.115 IN THREE-SET THRILLER
Maaya delivered one of the biggest results of the day, defeating Poland’s Kawa in a gripping three-set encounter to advance to the second round.
The 17-year-old came into the tournament ranked No.669, while Kawa was the World No.115 and eighth seed. The difference in rankings made the Indian the underdog, but she rose to the occasion to secure a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5) victory.
Maaya made a confident start, taking the opening set 6-4. She managed to put Kawa’s serve under pressure and converted two break opportunities to establish an advantage. The Indian also showed composure when serving out the set, saving a break point before sealing it.
Kawa responded in the second set, raising her level to take it 6-2 and force a decider. The Polish player looked to use her experience to regain control, but Maaya stayed in the contest and refused to let the setback derail her.
The third set proved to be a closely fought battle, with neither player managing to establish a decisive advantage. Maaya held her nerve in the tie-break, winning it 7-5 to complete a stunning upset and earn a place in the last 16.
The teenager will next take on Poland’s Weronika Falkowska, who defeated Czech Republic’s Linda Fruhvirtova 7-6(3), 6-4 to progress.
With Adkar and Maaya both through, the home crowd will have plenty to cheer about as the Indian challenge gathers momentum in Chennai.
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