Adkar and Bhosale become first all-Indian duo in WTA Tour-level doubles final after Chennai Open semifinal win
Vaishnavi Adkar and Rutuja Bhosale became the first all-Indian pairing to reach a WTA Tour-level doubles final when they defeated Weronika Falkowska and Alana Smith 6-2, 2-6, 10-8 in the Chennai Open semifinal on Saturday. The Maharashtra duo prevailed despite physical setbacks and a strong challenge from the tournament's second seeds.
Adkar and Bhosale navigated injuries, illness and shifting momentum to secure the victory, with Bhosale managing a left hip issue and having been unwell during the week. The Indian said having her support system around, including her husband, made a significant difference. "It's an incredible feeling, just to do it on home soil, doing it with someone I really enjoy playing with, someone I really believe in," Bhosale said. "We had no idea we were the first Indian pair. It's something that I will always remember," she added.
The semifinal unfolded with Adkar and Bhosale taking the opening set 6-2 before Falkowska and Smith rallied to claim the second set 6-2. The contest moved to a deciding super tie-break in which the Indians fell under early pressure but maintained an attacking strategy to edge the tie-break 10-8.
Adkar attributed a drop in energy to a recurring physical issue, saying: "It was a similar issue (to the one in singles). That is one of the main reasons my energy sort of dropped in the second set and we struggled a bit. Even initially in the super tie-break, we started pretty slow," she said. She added that a key focus for the pair was to keep going for their shots and to enjoy the rare experience of playing a WTA 250 semifinal at home: "One of the biggest things for us was to keep going for our shots. In the super tie-break, we also reminded ourselves to just enjoy this moment because it's very rare that you get to play a WTA 250 semifinal in front of the home crowd. The atmosphere was just amazing," Adkar said.
Bhosale described the second set as hard to explain but expressed satisfaction with their response in the deciding tie-break. "I knew it was going to be fierce. They go for all their shots. There were a lot of momentum shifts throughout the tie-break, but we had one agenda today, which was to go for all our shots, and that really worked for us," she said.
The result carried additional resonance as this edition of the Chennai Open prepares to leave the city; Bhosale recalled early success at the venue, saying: "It's been my happy hunting ground since I was 14. I won my junior B1 here and every time I played here, I loved the conditions, coming back here, the food. I have been cafe hopping here." She added: "Probably this is a sad part for our country, but for me, it's positive that we have reached the final during the last edition."
Bhosale also highlighted the personal significance of family support at the tournament: "These small moments mean so much to us as players. When you are travelling, they don't really get to see it because it's different and they don't understand the sport as much. It's incredible that I could do it here, in front of my people and my entire team," she said.
Adkar and Bhosale will contest the Chennai Open doubles final, giving them the opportunity to conclude the tournament's final edition in the city with a title.
