India’s Vaishnavi Adkar produced one of the standout performances of the tournament so far, staging a remarkable comeback to defeat eighth seed Mai Hontama of Japan 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(8) and advance to the quarterfinals of the KPB Trust ITF Women’s Open W100 Bengaluru 2026 at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium on Thursday.
Facing a higher-ranked opponent in the Round of 16, the 21-year-old Indian had to overcome a slow start and moments of intense pressure in what eventually turned into a gripping three-set battle lasting over two hours. After dropping the opening set, Adkar showed tactical maturity and resilience to claw her way back into the contest and emerge victorious in a nerve-wracking tie-break in the deciding set.
Hontama began the match on the front foot, displaying impressive court coverage and consistency from the baseline. The Japanese player capitalised on a string of early unforced errors from Adkar to secure a break in the second game and quickly establish control over the rallies. Dictating play with deep groundstrokes and measured shot selection, Hontama maintained her momentum to take the opening set 6-2.
Adkar, however, returned to the court for the second set with renewed intent. Stepping inside the baseline more frequently and looking to dictate points rather than react, the Indian raised the intensity of her returns and forced Hontama into uncomfortable defensive positions. An early break of serve in the second game helped Adkar build a 3-0 lead and shift the momentum in her favour.
Although Hontama managed to break back and reduce the deficit to 3-2, Adkar continued to stay aggressive, extending rallies and drawing errors from her opponent. Despite failing to serve out the set at her first opportunity, she quickly regrouped to break Hontama once again and close out the second set 6-4, levelling the match.
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The deciding set proved to be a dramatic affair, with both players exchanging breaks in a tense battle that saw the momentum swing repeatedly. Hontama struck first by breaking Adkar in the third game, only for the Indian to respond immediately in the following game. The pattern continued in the seventh and eighth games as both players struggled to hold serve under pressure.
Adkar came agonisingly close to sealing the match in the tenth game, holding a match point on Hontama’s serve. However, the Japanese player displayed commendable composure to save it and push the contest into a tie-break.
In the tie-break, Hontama surged ahead to a 5-2 lead following an unsuccessful drop shot attempt from Adkar. With the match seemingly slipping away, Adkar responded with a pair of powerful forehand winners to draw level and eventually take the lead. Even after missing three further match points, the Indian maintained her composure in the closing stages. At 9-8, Hontama netted a backhand, handing Adkar a memorable comeback victory and a place in the quarterfinals.
Elsewhere in the singles draw, Sahaja Yamalapalli’s campaign came to an end after she went down 0-6, 0-6 to top seed Talia Gibson of Australia. Gibson dominated proceedings from the outset, combining deep forehands with delicate drop shots to keep Sahaja on the defensive throughout the encounter.
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Fifth seed Polina Iatcenko progressed after recovering from a set down to defeat Romania’s Arina Gabriela Vasilescu 6-7, 6-3, 6-2, while second seed Lanlana Tararudee of Thailand registered a 6-4, 6-4 win over Japan’s Mei Yamaguchi. Fourth seed Taylah Preston advanced with a 6-3, 6-3 victory against Kristiana Sidorova, and seventh seed Elena Pridankina eased past Jasmijn Gimbrere 6-0, 6-1. China’s Fangran Tian also booked her place in the next round with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Erika Andreeva.
Adkar will now face fourth seed Taylah Preston in the quarterfinals, setting up another challenging contest as she looks to continue her impressive run in one of the biggest ITF women’s events in the country.
