Maaya rallied from 2-5 in the decider to take out World No. 115 Kawa.
| Photo Credit: R. RAGU
VMaaya Rajeshwaran and Vaishnavi Adkar added another highlight to their breakout seasons as the Indian wild cards recorded their maiden Tour-level wins at the Chennai Open on Tuesday.
World No. 669 Maaya, the 17-year-old girl 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 SDAT Stadium in Nungambakkam.
Maaya’s surprise victory over the 33-year-old Pole on the Centre Court followed Vaishnavi’s 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 heist against Britain’s Jodie Burrage.
Vaishnavi, the 21-year-old girl 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.
Vaishnavi makes a return to Burrage.
| Photo Credit:
R. RAGU
Despite a nervous start, Vaishnavi eventually lived up to the billing to secure an incredible come-from-behind victory in two hours, 46 minutes much to the delight of the spectators, including her mentor and former doubles World No. 1 Rohan Bopanna.
Former World No. 85 Burrage put the pressure straight away on Vaishnavi with a love hold, featuring two aces, in the opening game. The latter immediately dropped her serve and fell further behind.
Perhaps, to get rid of that nervousness, Vaishnavi needed a bit of luck and it finally came when a perfectly fine backhand from the Brit clipped the tape and went wide.
Swinging her racquet more freely, Vaishnavi reeled off three games in a row. Even though that advantage didn’t last long, the Indian was no more overwhelmed by the occasion.
She managed to force a third set and even ran to a 3-1 lead in the decider before the Brit launched a barrage of forehand winners.
Burrage earned herself the chance to serve for the match at 5-3.
However, Vaishnavi refused to budge and ultimately, outlasted her much experienced opponent who needed a medical timeout before the final game as the humidity took its toll on her.
Important results (first round): Maaya Rajeshwaran bt Katarzyna Kawa (Pol) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5); Vaishnavi Adkar bt Jodie Burrage (GBr) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5; 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; Robin Montgomery (USA) bt Panna Udvardy (Hun) 6-4, 1-6, 6-1.
Published – November 03, 2026 10:22 pm IST
