WTA Chennai Open: Maaya Rajeshwaran makes last eight, first Indian woman in a Tour quarterfinal since Sania Mirza

Maaya, who had stunned Polish World No. 115 Katarzyna Kawa in the first round for her maiden Tour-level win, will next meet USA’s Robin Montgomery for a place in the semifinals.

Updated : Nov 04, 2026 23:57 IST , CHENNAI - 4 MINS READ

The 17-year-old Maaya became the first Indian woman to make it to the last-eight stage of a Tour-level event since Sania Mirza’s quarterfinal finish in Pattaya City back in 2012. | Photo Credit: RAGU R

Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi took down Polish qualifier Weronika Falkowska 6-4, 6-3 in a topsy-turvy encounter to reach the WTA 250 Chennai Open quarterfinals on Wednesday, ending a wait of almost 15 years for Indian tennis.

With her win over World No. 277 Falkowska, the 17-year-old Maaya became the first Indian woman to make it to the last-eight stage of a Tour-level event since Sania Mirza’s quarterfinal finish in Pattaya City back in 2012.

Against the 26-year-old Falkowska, it was anything but a flawless performance from Maaya. In the first set, the Indian had a miserable first-serve percentage of 53 but the Pole, with 41, was worse. It took until the sixth game of the opener for the contest’s first service hold as Falkowska grabbed a 4-2 lead. Maaya followed suit.

Cheered on by 300-odd spectators under the floodlights on the Centre Court at the SDAT Stadium in Nungambakkam, Maaya, the girl from Coimbatore, then erased Falkowska’s advantage before moving 5-4 ahead.

Serving to stay in the set, Falkowska was down 15-40 after a couple of double faults. Maaya converted her second set point as she rushed to the net and made a difficult backhand volley, forcing out a forehand error in response from the Pole.

Maaya took an early 2-0 lead in the second essay but it didn’t last long. However, the Indian continued to put the pressure on Falkowska, for whom it was a must-win set, and earned the chance to serve for the win after breaking the Pole again. She rushed to a 40-0 lead but squandered the first match point by netting a forehand volley. Falkowska saved the second one with a superb inside-out backhand return winner. On the third attempt, Maaya served down the T and drew a weak forehand return from Falkowska with the ball hitting the tape.

Maaya, who had stunned Polish World No. 115 Katarzyna Kawa in the first round for her maiden Tour-level win, will meet USA’s Robin Montgomery for a place in the semifinals.

In the battle between two former Junior US Open Champions, Montgomery had the final say as she took out Belgium’s Jeline Vandromme 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in nearly three hours under hot and humid conditions.

Top seed and reigning champion Janice Tjen survived a tough opener before cruising through the second set to beat Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland 7-6(1), 6-1.

World No. 196 Garland drew the Indonesian into a long deuce game and got the crucial break to lead 5-3 when Tjen overhit a forehand.

Had filed this story during last year's Chennai Open. Nothing has changed. The kind of social media abuse Burrage and Kawa are being subjected to for losing to two Indian youngsters is sickening @WTA https://t.co/TxyaWLs3z7

— Nihit (@nihitsachdeva28) November 3, 2026

However, the 24-year-old Tjen, who won her maiden Tour-level title here last year, struck back immediately in spectacular fashion as Garland served for the set. Tjen hit three forehand winners - two down the line and one inside-out - with the backhand slice, her bread-and-butter shot, also drawing an error from her opponent.

Tjen then played a perfect tiebreak, reeling off seven straight points, to clinch the opener.

She broke Garland twice in the second set to seal the win and book her spot in the quarterfinals. She will be up against Polina Kudermetova, the sixth-seeded Uzbek who brushed aside Spain’s Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-3, 6-0 in an hour and 19 minutes.

Results (Second Round)

Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi bt Weronika Falkowska (Pol) 6-4, 6-3; Janice Tjen (Ina) bt Joanna Garland (Tpe) 7-6(1), 6-1; Polina Kudermetova (Uzb) bt Oksana Selekhmeteva (Esp) 6-3, 6-0; Robin Montgomery (USA) bt Jeline Vandromme (Bel) 6-4, 3-6, 7-5