Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi reaches Chennai Open quarterfinal with straight-sets win over Weronika Falkowska
Seventeen-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi beat Poland's Weronika Falkowska in straight sets on Wednesday night at the Chennai Open to reach a WTA Tour-level singles quarterfinal. The victory made her the first Indian woman to reach that stage at WTA level since February 2012.
The last Indian to reach a WTA Tour-level singles quarterfinal was Sania Mirza in February 2012, while Indo-American Shikha Uberoi had reached the last eight at WTA level in 2005. Maaya's run at the Chennai Open has placed the Coimbatore player among a small group of Indian women who have advanced to this round on the WTA circuit.
Maaya acknowledged she was not at her best in the match, citing problems with her serve and her opponent's aggressive returning. "I am happy to get the win. It was not as good as I wanted it to be, like yesterday (Tuesday), but I am happy that I found ways to win." She also detailed how Falkowska's returns forced her to change approach: "She (Falkowska) was really hitting those returns, she was going for it, and that sort of made me think more. I think I was really hesitant at the start. But after some time I was like, no matter what, I am going to go for it. Holding back or being hesitant is not going to help. So, I was just trying to go for it, trying to hit the spots more and get a higher percentage," she said.
On the attention that comes with the milestone, Maaya said recognition is welcome but secondary to performance. "I think it is part of an athlete's career. There are certain things that need to be done and it is always nice to get help. It is always nice to get recognition. In a country like India, it is definitely really nice to actually have some recognition," said Maaya after advancing to the quarterfinals. "But at the end of the day, I think it comes down to tennis. You do well, you learn and get what you want."
Her progress follows a season in transition as she balanced junior events with a growing professional schedule and set a target of winning a pro title. "I wanted to win a pro title this year and that started off with Lagos. So, I think that was a good start to my career," she said, adding a focus on match play rather than ranking pressure: "We do have short-term goals, but I will not put pressure on achieving those goals. You keep improving, you keep working on what you have to, and I think matches and wins are going to follow."
Maaya said adapting to Chennai's conditions was an additional challenge in the match. "It is tough conditions, but it is the same for both of us. At the end of the day, it comes down to who stays more and who fights more. I am just trying to do that as much as I can," she said.
Reflecting on her junior Grand Slam results this season, Maaya noted lessons learned from setbacks while also pointing to a deeper run in doubles. She did not go beyond the second round in Grand Slams in singles this season but made the doubles semifinals at the US Open, and she said: "You play matches, you lose, you learn. There is no point dwelling on it."
Maaya will now compete in the Chennai Open quarterfinals, remaining in the WTA Tour-level singles draw at the tournament.