Indian women’s tennis enjoyed a strong day at the ITF W35 Solapur as four home players booked their places in the singles quarterfinals, underlining the growing depth and competitiveness of the domestic circuit.
Second seed Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty, sixth seed Vaidehee Chaudhari, eighth seed Vaishnavi Adkar and 16-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran all progressed, each with a different narrative but a common theme of control, resilience and clarity under pressure.
At the top of the draw, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty continued her assured run with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 victory over qualifier Aruzhan Sagandykova of Kazakhstan. The scoreline reflected Shrivalli’s authority from the opening game. Using her forehand to dictate play and moving the ball with purpose, the second seed gave Sagandykova very little room to settle into rallies. The Kazakh qualifier, ranked 846 in the world, struggled to hold serve as Shrivalli repeatedly applied pressure on the return, stepping inside the baseline and finishing points efficiently.
For Shrivalli, currently ranked 481 on the WTA rankings, this performance was another reminder of her comfort on Indian conditions. She served cleanly, limited unforced errors and never allowed the match to drift. The ease with which she closed out both sets will give her confidence as the tournament enters its decisive phase, especially with a demanding quarterfinal lined up next.
Sixth seed Vaidehee Chaudhari’s path to the quarterfinals was far more dramatic but equally impressive. Facing Maria Kalyakina, Vaidehee had to dig deep after dropping the opening set 3-6. Kalyakina used her depth and consistency to force errors early on, but Vaidehee gradually found her rhythm. The Indian raised her intensity in the second set, improving her first-serve percentage and being more assertive on the forehand side to level the contest 6-2.
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The deciding set was a test of temperament. Both players traded breaks, and momentum swung repeatedly as nerves became a factor in the closing stages. At 5-5, Vaidehee held her nerve, constructing points patiently and capitalising on a few loose errors from Kalyakina to secure the decisive break. She then served out the match to complete a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 comeback win. For Vaidehee, ranked 639, the victory showcased her ability to problem-solve mid-match and stay composed in tight situations, qualities that often separate contenders from the rest at this level.
Eighth seed Vaishnavi Adkar delivered one of the most clinical performances of the day, cruising past Belgian qualifier Polina Bakhmutkina 6-1, 6-1. Vaishnavi was sharp from the first ball, using her speed around the court to turn defence into attack and repeatedly forcing short replies. Bakhmutkina, ranked outside the top 1000, struggled to cope with the pace and placement of Vaishnavi’s groundstrokes, especially on the backhand wing.
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Ranked 691 on the WTA charts, Vaishnavi has steadily built a reputation for efficiency at ITF events, and this match followed that pattern. She kept points short when possible, served well under pressure and closed the contest in just over an hour, conserving energy for the later rounds.
Perhaps the most compelling story of the day came from 16-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran, who produced a remarkable comeback to defeat 20-year-old Anna Sedysheva in three sets. Maaya found herself trailing 0-4 in the opening set as Sedysheva took early control with aggressive baseline play. The Indian teenager responded by settling into longer rallies and gradually clawing her way back, though she eventually conceded the first set 4-6.
The second set marked a turning point. Maaya’s movement and consistency began to tell, and she showed impressive mental strength to break Sedysheva’s serve at 5-5 before closing out the set 7-5. With momentum firmly on her side, Maaya carried that confidence into the decider. She absorbed pressure well, picked her moments to attack and sealed a hard-fought 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory.
The reward for that effort is a quarterfinal clash against second seed Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, a matchup that will test Maaya’s progress against one of the tournament favourites. For the teenager, already showing maturity beyond her years, the match represents another valuable learning opportunity on the professional circuit.
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With four Indians in the quarterfinals, the ITF W35 Solapur has become a showcase of domestic strength. The mix of established names and emerging talent highlights the encouraging trajectory of Indian women’s tennis, with the latter stages promising high-quality, competitive encounters.
