Vaishnavi Adkar and Rutuja Bhosale reach WTA Chennai Open doubles final

Vaishnavi Adkar and Rutuja Bhosale reached the doubles final at the WTA 250 Chennai Open on Saturday, beating Weronika Falkowska and Alana Smith 6-2, 2-6, [10-8] at the SDAT Stadium in Chennai. They became the first-ever all-Indian pair to reach a Tour-level final.

Cheered by 500-odd spectators on centre court at the SDAT Stadium, the Indian duo began strongly, breaking Smith’s serve to love for a 2-1 lead and moving to a 4-1 advantage when Rutuja hit a forehand return at Falkowska’s feet to secure a double-break. World No. 128 Rutuja held to love to close out the opening set.

From 2-2 in the second set the Indians’ level dipped, and the 21-year-old Vaishnavi committed consecutive double-faults that handed a break to the Polish-American pair in the sixth game. Down 2-5, the Indians used a medical timeout as Vaishnavi faced a left hip issue — the same had affected her during her second-round loss in singles — and Falkowska and Smith broke Rutuja immediately after play resumed to take the set.

In the match tie-break Falkowska and Smith led 8-6 before Rutuja produced an inside-out forehand and Vaishnavi an overhead smash to restore parity. The Indians then moved ahead courtesy of a backhand volley from Vaishnavi, and on match point Smith let a forehand down the line from Vaishnavi pass her only to watch it land inside the baseline.

“It’s an incredible feeling to reach the final on home soil, doing it with someone I really enjoy playing with. We had no idea we were the first Indian pair (to reach a Tour-level final). It’s something that I will always remember,” said the 30-year-old Rutuja.

“It’s the last Tour-level event in India. So, I’m really glad that we could make the best out of it,” said Vaishnavi.

Magda Linette returned to the singles final with a hard-fought 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over Anastasia Zakharova; the 34-year-old Pole advanced through a three-set semifinal. In the other doubles semi, Naima Karamoko and Simona Waltert beat Isabelle Haverlag and Panna Udvardy 6-4, 6-4.

Magda Linette will face defending champion Janice Tjen in Sunday’s summit clash. World No. 75 Tjen, the top-seeded Indonesian, took down Robin Montgomery (USA) 6-3, 6-4 in their semifinal to extend her winning streak in Chennai to nine matches.