India’s Vaishnavi Adkar continued her remarkable run at the W100 Bengaluru Open, producing one of the biggest wins of her career with a gritty three-set victory over fourth seed Taylah Preston to advance to the semi-finals.
The 21-year-old wildcard, who has been steadily climbing the professional circuit, held her nerve in a fluctuating contest to register a statement win against the higher-ranked Australian.
Coming into the match with renewed confidence following her Round of 16 triumph, Adkar was up against an in-form opponent in Preston, who had enjoyed a strong start to the 2026 season. The Australian had recently recorded a win over former World No. 22 Zhang Shuai and had pushed Czech star Linda Noskova to three sets earlier in the year. With an aggressive baseline game and a preference for finishing points early, Preston posed a stern test for the Indian, particularly on hard courts where she has looked comfortable this season.
However, Adkar’s consistent ball striking and improved control from the baseline disrupted Preston’s rhythm through the contest. Despite being broken in the opening game of the first set, Adkar responded immediately, breaking back to love in the very next game to restore parity. From there, she began dictating the tempo of rallies with measured depth and smart shot placement, forcing Preston into longer exchanges.
Holding serve confidently, Adkar earned another break to move 4-2 ahead before briefly losing momentum with a lapse in concentration that saw her concede her serve. But the Indian quickly regrouped, attacking Preston’s second serve and converting another break opportunity before closing out the opening set 6-3 with composed serving.
The second set saw a shift in momentum as Preston raised her intensity from the baseline. Adkar had early break point opportunities in the opening game but was unable to convert, allowing the Australian to settle into her service games. Preston began targeting Adkar’s serve more aggressively, stepping inside the baseline to take control of points early. A double break soon followed, and Preston’s forehand began to find consistent depth and pace, enabling her to level the match with a 6-1 second-set win.
With the contest moving into a decider, both players tightened up their service games in the early exchanges. Preston struck first, earning a break in the third game, but Adkar remained composed under pressure. She capitalised on her opportunities in the sixth game to break back, before backing it up with a resilient hold of serve.
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The Indian then surged ahead with another break in the eighth game, putting herself in position to serve for the match. Nerves, however, appeared to set in as Preston produced a series of aggressive returns to break back and keep her hopes alive.
Undeterred, Adkar maintained her attacking intent, consistently targeting Preston’s backhand wing and extending rallies to draw errors. Her persistence paid off as she secured the decisive break, sealing the match and confirming her place in the semi-finals of a WTA 100 event for the first time in her career.
The win marks a significant milestone for Adkar, whose performances in Bengaluru are expected to translate into a substantial rise in the WTA rankings from her current position of World No. 690 to an estimated 543 following this run. Having secured a bronze medal at the University Games last year, Adkar has shown noticeable improvement in key aspects of her game this season. Her baseline consistency, improved serve reliability, and enhanced footwork have allowed her to compete effectively against higher-ranked opponents during this tournament.
She will now face Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee in the semi-finals, setting up another challenging contest as she looks to continue her breakthrough run at one of the biggest ITF events in the country.
