Vaishnavi Adkar Falls to Anastasia Zakharova in Chennai Open Second Round

Key points

1. Vaishnavi Adkar lost 6-3, 6-0 to Anastasia Zakharova in the second round of the WTA 250 Chennai Open on Thursday.
2. Adkar, one of three Indian wild cards, had reached the second round with her maiden Tour-level win over Britain’s Jodie Burrage.
3. Zakharova, ranked World No. 107, used her movement and backhand to keep Adkar under pressure.
4. Adkar took a medical timeout at 2-5 in the first set and continued with strapping on her left thigh.
5. The opening set lasted 59 minutes, while the second set took only 23 minutes; Adkar won four of 26 points in the second.
6. Adkar said the issue was a niggle near her hip during running shots and that she expected to be fit for her doubles quarterfinal.
7. Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi was the only Indian left in the singles draw and was scheduled to face Robin Montgomery in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Vaishnavi Adkar’s run at the WTA 250 Chennai Open came to an end in the second round on Thursday, as the Indian wild card lost 6-3, 6-0 to Russia’s Anastasia Zakharova at the SDAT Stadium in Nungambakkam. Adkar competed closely for much of the opening set, but Zakharova’s movement and powerful backhand gradually took control of the contest.

The 21-year-old Indian had entered the match with confidence after earning her maiden Tour-level victory against Britain’s Jodie Burrage. One of three Indian wild cards in the draw, Adkar faced a difficult follow-up against Zakharova, the World No. 107. The Russian eventually pulled away after a competitive first set, with the second lasting just 23 minutes.

Close opening set turns Zakharova’s way

Adkar was broken in the third game of the first set, but immediately made Zakharova work hard to consolidate the advantage. The Indian drew her opponent into a lengthy deuce game, yet the Russian held on. Another extended game followed, and Zakharova again found a way through to move further ahead.

At 2-2, Adkar had an opportunity to put pressure on the Russian’s serve. She surged to a 40-0 lead in the fifth game and struck forceful down-the-line return winners from both wings. However, she could not convert the chances, allowing Zakharova to escape and maintain her lead.

Adkar then took a medical timeout while trailing 2-5. She returned with strapping on her left thigh and said after the match that she had felt a niggle near her hip, particularly while making running shots. Despite the discomfort, she continued to compete and played more freely as the set approached its conclusion.

The Indian finally converted her seventh break point to get a break back, but Zakharova responded immediately. The Russian closed out the 59-minute opener 6-3, taking the key points after a set in which several games had gone to deuce.

Zakharova pulls away in the second

The momentum shifted decisively in the second set. Adkar’s movement and body language dipped, while Zakharova continued to dictate play with her court coverage and backhand. Adkar managed to win only four of the 26 points played in the set, which lasted 23 minutes, as the Russian completed a 6-0 finish.

Adkar acknowledged that the first set had been closely contested and that she had opportunities to make it more competitive. She said Zakharova had capitalised on the important points and had been willing to go for her shots when the pressure was highest. The Indian also played down the physical issue, describing it as a niggle rather than an injury.

“I wouldn’t really call it an injury,” Adkar said after the match, explaining that she had felt a jerk near her hip during running shots. She added that she expected to be fine and still had her doubles quarterfinal to play.

Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi carries Indian singles hopes

With Adkar eliminated from the singles draw, Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi was the only Indian remaining in the tournament at the time of the report. She was scheduled to face left-handed American Robin Montgomery in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Elsewhere in the draw, third seed Magda Linette advanced to the last eight after defeating Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima 7-6(5), 6-0. The Polish player, ranked World No. 68 and a former World No. 19, had to negotiate a close first set before taking control in the second.

Linette’s Chennai run was notable after a difficult stretch that included seven first-round exits since her semifinal appearance at the WTA 250 event in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in June. The quarterfinal was her fourth Tour-level last-eight appearance of the year. She had also reached the final of the inaugural Chennai Open in 2022, where she lost to Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova.

For Adkar, the second-round defeat ended a significant week that had already brought a first Tour-level singles win. The match against Zakharova showed her ability to challenge a higher-ranked opponent in the opening set, even as the Russian’s consistency and the Indian’s physical discomfort shaped the final scoreline.