World No. 690 Vaishnavi Adkar’s dream run at the ITF Women’s Bengaluru Open (USD 100,000) reached a new high on Saturday as the Indian wildcard powered her way into the final with a commanding straight-sets win over World No. 126 Lanlana Tararudee of Thailand.
In what has now become the standout story of the week in Indian tennis, the 21-year-old produced another clinical performance, winning 6–3, 6–3 in just 66 minutes to book her place in the summit clash. Adkar’s backhand, which has been a defining weapon throughout the tournament, once again proved decisive as she consistently dictated rallies from the baseline against a significantly higher-ranked opponent.
Coming into the semifinal, Tararudee was expected to pose a stern challenge, especially given her consistent results on the ITF circuit this season. However, Adkar set the tone early with a near-flawless opening set performance. She landed an impressive 88 percent of her first serves and converted both break point opportunities she created, ensuring she remained in complete control of the momentum.
The Indian’s ability to absorb pace and redirect the ball down the line repeatedly unsettled Tararudee, forcing the Thai player into uncomfortable positions on the court. Adkar broke serve midway through the first set and consolidated with assured service games to take a 6–3 lead.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with Adkar maintaining her intensity from the baseline while varying her shot selection to keep her opponent guessing. Tararudee attempted to step inside the court to shorten points, but Adkar’s consistency off both wings prevented the Thai from gaining any meaningful foothold in the contest. Another break of serve tilted the match firmly in the Indian’s favour, and she closed out the set and the match with authority to seal one of the biggest wins of her career.
The victory marks Adkar’s third consecutive career-best win this week and caps a remarkable turnaround in fortunes. Prior to this tournament, she had not registered a win over a top-300 opponent. Over the course of the last few days in Bengaluru, she has now defeated three players ranked well above her including two inside the top 150 and one in the top 250.
Her run began with a thrilling three-set comeback against Japan’s Mai Hontama (WTA 220) in the second round. After dropping the opening set 2–6, Adkar fought back to win 6–4, 7–6(8) in a marathon encounter lasting two hours and 49 minutes, saving crucial points in a tense final-set tiebreak after trailing 2–5.
Watch Indian Live Scores and Play Quiz – Download IndiaSportsHub App
In the quarterfinals, she followed that up with another impressive result, defeating fourth seed Taylah Preston of Australia (WTA 148) 6–3, 1–6, 6–4. Despite a dip in the second set, Adkar regrouped effectively in the decider, using her improved footwork and baseline consistency to counter Preston’s aggressive game style.
Her semifinal victory over Tararudee now places her in the final of a USD 100,000 ITF event for the first time in her career a milestone moment that underlines her rapid development over the past few months.
Adkar will now face the winner of the semifinal clash between Belgium’s Hanne Vandewinkel (WTA 124) and Russia’s Polina Iatcenko (WTA 160) in the final. Regardless of the outcome, the Bengaluru campaign is set to significantly boost her ranking and confidence as she looks to transition to higher levels of competition on the international circuit.
Watch Indian Live Scores and Play Quiz – Download IndiaSportsHub App
For Indian tennis, her breakthrough week at a tournament of this stature represents a promising step forward, with Adkar showcasing the resilience and tactical maturity required to compete with and defeat established names on the ITF circuit.
