Maaya Rajeshwaran Stuns Top Seed Anastasia Gasanova in W35 Monastir Comeback Victory

Indian teenager Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi continued her impressive rise on the professional tennis circuit, defeating tournament top seed Anastasia Gasanova of Russia in the opening round of the ITF W35 Monastir tournament in Tunisia. 

The 17-year-old qualifier recovered from losing the opening set to register a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory over the world No. 196, securing one of the most significant wins of her career.

Ranked world No. 726, Maaya entered the contest as the lower-ranked player against an opponent with considerably more experience on the professional circuit. Gasanova, whose career-high ranking is No. 121, had also qualified for Wimbledon 2026 and reached the second round. The result therefore represents a substantial breakthrough for the young Indian, who demonstrated resilience and composure to overturn the early deficit.

The victory also continues a notable pattern in Maaya’s recent performances: defeating the highest-ranked opponent in the opening round of consecutive ITF W35 tournaments.

The match began with Gasanova establishing an advantage, taking the first set 6-3. The Russian arrived in Tunisia as the tournament’s top seed, and her early success placed Maaya under pressure to respond against a player ranked more than 500 places above her.

Maaya, however, did not allow the opening-set loss to dictate the remainder of the contest. She regrouped in the second set, improving her position in the match to win 6-2 and level the encounter.

The turnaround shifted the pressure onto Gasanova, who now needed to recover after losing control of the contest. With the match moving into a deciding third set, Maaya had an opportunity to complete a significant upset against one of the leading entries in the draw.

The Indian maintained her challenge and secured the final set 6-4, completing a comeback victory in three sets. The 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 scoreline reflected her ability to recover after a difficult start and sustain her effort through the deciding stages.

For a player ranked world No. 726, beating a top seed and world No. 196 is an important result. Beyond the immediate progression to the next round, it offers Maaya valuable experience in managing a match against a substantially higher-ranked opponent.

Back-to-Back Upsets Against Tournament Top Seeds

Maaya’s latest victory is particularly notable because it follows a similar result at the W35 Lagos tournament in Portugal earlier in October. There, she defeated tournament top seed Justina Mikulskyte of Lithuania, ranked world No. 241, in the opening round.

She has now beaten the top seed in the first round at consecutive W35 events, first in Lagos and then in Monastir. Repeating the achievement across two tournaments provides a strong indication of her ability to compete against higher-ranked players.

The Monastir result is especially significant given Gasanova’s ranking and professional experience. The Russian was ranked world No. 196 at the time of the match and had previously reached a career-high ranking of No. 121.

Maaya’s progress has also been built through the qualifying rounds in Tunisia. Before facing Gasanova in the main draw, the Indian defeated Canada’s Abigeyle Bhopal, listed as unranked in the supplied information, 6-1, 6-4 to secure her place in the tournament proper.

Winning through qualifying and then eliminating the top seed requires a player to negotiate multiple matches while maintaining competitive consistency. Maaya has managed that transition successfully in Monastir, extending her winning streak to nine matches according to the supplied results.

Maaya has already attracted attention as one of India’s emerging tennis prospects. She is identified as India’s youngest W35 title winner, and her latest performance adds another notable achievement to her developing career.

At 17, she is still building her experience on the senior professional circuit. Results against established players such as Gasanova are valuable because they provide opportunities to test her game against opponents with stronger rankings and greater experience at this level.

The comeback also highlights an important competitive quality: the ability to respond when a match begins unfavourably. After losing the opening set, Maaya won the second convincingly and then held her advantage in the decider to complete the upset.

While one victory does not determine a player’s long-term trajectory, consecutive wins over top seeds at W35 events give Maaya a platform to continue developing her ranking and professional experience.

Demi Tran Awaits in the Round of 16

Maaya’s next opponent is the Netherlands’ Demi Tran in the Round of 16. The Indian will aim to carry the confidence of her victory over Gasanova into the next match as she seeks to extend her run in Tunisia.

The challenge will be to reproduce the resilience that defined her opening-round performance. After coming through qualifying and defeating the top seed, Maaya has already demonstrated that she can manage the demands of a difficult tournament draw.

Her immediate objective will be to build on that momentum and secure another victory against Tran. Progress to the quarter-finals would further strengthen an encouraging campaign at Monastir.

For Indian tennis, Maaya’s latest result is a welcome development. The teenager has now defeated top seeds at consecutive W35 tournaments, and her comeback against Gasanova is another significant step in her progression through the professional ranks.

The victory in Tunisia is more than an opening-round win. It is evidence of Maaya’s growing ability to challenge established opponents and convert difficult match situations into results. With Demi Tran next on the schedule, the Indian youngster has an opportunity to turn her latest breakthrough into an even deeper run at the W35 Monastir tournament.