Vaishnavi Adkar exits Chennai Open as Maaya and Shrivalli upset third seeds to reach doubles quarter-finals

Anastasia Zakharova defeats India’s top-ranked player in straight sets, while the Indian pairing of Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi and Shrivalli Bhamidipaty produces one of the day’s standout results.

India’s campaign in the singles draw at the Chennai Open International Women’s Tennis Championships 2026 suffered a setback on Thursday as top-ranked Indian player Vaishnavi Adkar was eliminated in the second round. However, there was encouraging news for the home contingent in the doubles competition, where Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi and Shrivalli Bhamidipaty defeated the third seeds to advance to the quarter-finals.

Seventh seed Anastasia Zakharova of Russia ended Adkar’s run with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-0 victory on Centre Court at the SDAT Tennis Stadium. The match lasted 82 minutes, with Zakharova controlling the rallies through her powerful backhand, consistent groundstrokes and effective returns.

Adkar had entered the second round on the back of an impressive opening-round performance, having fought back to defeat Britain’s Jodie Burrage. Against Zakharova, however, the Indian struggled to reproduce that level of control. The Russian repeatedly moved her around the court, forcing Adkar to defend from different positions and making it difficult for the home player to establish herself in the rallies.

The opening set was competitive in patches, but Zakharova had the upper hand at the important moments. Adkar saved two break points in the third game before the seventh seed eventually secured the breakthrough. The Indian subsequently created several break-point opportunities of her own but was unable to convert them.

Trailing 2-5, Adkar called for a medical timeout to receive treatment on her left thigh. She returned with the thigh strapped and managed to break Zakharova’s serve, briefly threatening to shift the momentum. The Russian responded immediately, breaking back to close out the opening set 6-3.

The second set proved more straightforward for Zakharova. Adkar was unable to find her rhythm, while the Russian continued to dictate the exchanges and completed the 6-3, 6-0 victory.

“I have really enjoyed playing on Centre Court,” Zakharova said after the match. The Russian has now reached the Chennai Open quarter-finals for the second consecutive time.

Linette and Stefanini progress to the last eight

Elsewhere in the singles draw, third seed Magda Linette of Poland advanced with a 7-6(5), 6-0 win over Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima. The opening set was closely contested, with neither player able to establish a decisive advantage before Linette edged the tie-break 7-5.

The Polish player raised her level considerably in the second set, winning six consecutive games to complete the straight-set victory and secure her place in the quarter-finals. Tenth seed Lucrezia Stefanini also moved into the last eight, defeating Switzerland’s Simona Waltert 6-2, 6-3. Stefanini controlled the contest with steady baseline play and needed one hour and 32 minutes to seal the win. She will now face Zakharova in the quarter-finals.

Japan’s Mai Hontama also progressed after coming from behind to defeat Kazakhstan’s Zhibek Kulambayeva 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Maaya and Shrivalli deliver a major doubles upset

The most encouraging result for Indian tennis came in the women’s doubles, where the wildcard pairing of Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi and Shrivalli Bhamidipaty produced a commanding performance against third seeds Aneta Kladivova and Aneta Laboutkova of the Czech Republic.

The Indian duo won 6-3, 6-2, securing their place in the quarter-finals with a straight-sets victory. Their performance against a seeded combination was a significant result for the home contingent and added to Maaya’s impressive week in Chennai.

Maaya had already made history earlier in the tournament by becoming the first Indian to reach the singles quarter-finals at the Chennai Open. She will face American Robin Montgomery in the singles last eight on Friday, while also continuing her doubles campaign alongside Shrivalli.

The Indian pair will next take on the Dutch-Hungarian combination of Isabelle Haverlag and Panna Udvardy in the doubles quarter-finals. It presents another opportunity for the home team to make progress against an international pairing.

In another notable doubles result, Poland’s Weronika Falkowska and American Alana Smith recovered from losing the opening set to beat Japan’s Mai Hontama and Moyuka Uchijima 2-6, 6-4, [10-1]. The doubles quarter-finals also saw Switzerland’s Naima Karamoko and Simona Waltert defeat top seeds Momoko Kobori of Japan and Peangtarn Plipuech of Thailand 6-4, 7-6(5).

With the singles and doubles draws moving into the quarter-final stage, the tournament now enters a crucial phase. While Adkar’s exit ends the singles campaign for India’s top-ranked player, Maaya and Shrivalli’s doubles victory provides the home crowd with a strong reason to remain invested in the competition.

The Chennai Open is a WTA 250 tournament played on hard courts, carrying a total prize purse of US$283,347. The 2026 edition will conclude on November 8.