Latest
Badminton

WTA Chennai Open: Maaya and Vaishnavi post maiden victories on Tour

Indian wild cards Maaya Rajeshwaran and Vaishnavi Adkar won their first Tour-level matches at the WTA 250 event in Chennai.

By , Sports writer

· 2 min read

Badminton, general photo
Badminton (general photo, not from this event) Photo: anncapictures / Pixabay, Pixabay Content License

Maaya Rajeshwaran beat Katarzyna Kawa 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5), while Vaishnavi Adkar defeated Jodie Burrage 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 at the SDAT Stadium in Nungambakkam on Tuesday.

Key takeaways

  • Maaya Rajeshwaran won her first Tour-level match against Katarzyna Kawa 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5)
  • Vaishnavi Adkar won her first Tour-level match against Jodie Burrage 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
  • Both players entered the WTA 250 event as Indian wild cards
  • Vaishnavi Adkar began the year as World No. 681 and entered as India's best player
  • Maaya Rajeshwaran is 17 years old and from Coimbatore

Indian wild cards Maaya Rajeshwaran and Vaishnavi Adkar recorded their maiden Tour-level wins at the WTA Chennai Open on Tuesday. The victories took place at the SDAT Stadium in Nungambakkam during the WTA 250 event.

Maaya Rajeshwaran upsets Katarzyna Kawa

Maaya Rajeshwaran, the 17-year-old from Coimbatore who recently claimed her first-ever senior title, came back from 2-5 in the decider to upset Polish World No. 115 Katarzyna Kawa 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5) late in the night at the Centre Court. World No. 669 Maaya’s surprise victory over the 33-year-old Pole followed Vaishnavi’s win against Britain’s Jodie Burrage.

Vaishnavi Adkar defeats Jodie Burrage

Vaishnavi Adkar, the 21-year-old from Maharashtra who began the year as World No. 681, has nearly halved her ranking and entered this week’s WTA 250 event as India’s best player. She secured a come-from-behind victory against Burrage with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in two hours and 46 minutes. Former doubles World No. 1 Rohan Bopanna, her mentor, was among the 150-odd spectators.

Match details and other first-round results

Former World No. 85 Burrage put pressure straight away on Vaishnavi with a love hold featuring two aces in the opening game. Vaishnavi immediately dropped her serve and fell further behind.

A perfectly fine backhand from the Brit clipped the tape and went wide, after which Vaishnavi reeled off three games in a row. She forced a third set and ran to a 3-1 lead in the decider before Burrage launched a barrage of forehand winners.

Burrage earned the chance to serve for the match at 5-3 but needed a medical timeout before the final game as humidity took its toll. Vaishnavi refused to budge and outlasted her more experienced opponent.

Other first-round results included Janice Tjen (Ina) bt Katherine Hui (USA) 6-1, 6-2; Magda Linette (Pol) bt Aliona Falei (Blr) 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-2; Polina Kudermetova (Uzb) bt Viktoria Morvayova (Svk) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1; Anastasia Zakharova (Rus) bt Polina Iatcenko (Rus) 7-6(3), 6-1; and Robin Montgomery (USA) bt Panna Udvardy (Hun) 6-4, 1-6, 6-1.

Sources

Topics

Spotted an error? Read our corrections policy or use the flag button above. Our editorial standards explain how we report.

Discussion

Sign in or create a free account to join the discussion. Please follow our community guidelines.