It was a proud day for Indian tennis at the Mumbai Open WTA 125 Series, held at Mumbai’s Cricket Club of India. 15-year-old Indian player Maaya Rajeshwaran made headlines by upsetting World No. 265, Nicole Fossa Huergo from Italy. The tennis prodigy won the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-0, progressing to the final round of qualifying.
Maaya’s journey to victory
Maaya’s game was a perfect example of skill and strategy. She started strong, breaking Huergo’s serve twice to clinch the first set 6-3. Her powerful forehand and solid service games kept Huergo on the backfoot. Although Huergo fought back in the second set by targeting Maaya’s backhand and playing aggressively at the net, she took the set 6-3. But Maaya wasn’t done yet. She came back even stronger in the final set, dominating with a flawless performance to win 6-0.
More on Indian Sports
- Mission impossible? How brutal All England Open draw brings trouble for Indian shuttlers
- Ayush Shetty’s stellar run halted by Lin Chun-Yi, loses in Orleans Masters 2025 semis
- Orleans Masters 2025: Ayush Shetty in semifinals, know where to watch and live streaming
Rising star from Tamil Nadu
Maaya hails from Tamil Nadu and has been training at the prestigious Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca since January 2025. Her win in Mumbai not only boosts her confidence but also paves the way for her to earn a WTA ranking, making her the youngest Indian to achieve such a feat. She is set to face Jessica Failla in the final qualifying round.
Other matches and performances
In other matches on the first day of qualifying, Russia’s Aleksandar Krunic, seeded seventh, defeated Japan’s Naho Sato 6-2, 6-3, with strong service games and impressive baseline shots. Serbian Petra Marcinko, the second seed, also showed her class by beating Alicia Smith 6-1, 6-3, using aggressive groundstrokes and excellent court coverage.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Alevtina Ibragimova had a hard-fought match against Indonesia’s Priska Nugroho. Although she lost the first set 1-6, Ibragimova found her rhythm and won the next two sets 6-4, 6-4, displaying determination and stamina in long rallies.
