The qualifying rounds of the 2026 L&T Mumbai Open WTA 125K Series produced a gripping day of tennis at the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) on Sunday, with tight three-set battles, seeding upsets and emotional swings across Centre Court.
While India’s seasoned campaigner Ankita Raina bowed out after a long and exhausting contest, players from Thailand, Japan, Poland and Russia booked their places in the main draw, underlining the international depth of the tournament.
The spotlight inevitably fell on Raina’s match against Thailand’s Peangtarn Plipuech, a contest that encapsulated both the unpredictability and intensity of top-level qualifying tennis. After two hours and 39 minutes of momentum shifts and physical rallies, it was Plipuech who emerged with a 6–2, 1–6, 6–4 victory, ending Raina’s home challenge.
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Raina, one of India’s most experienced players on the international circuit, came into the match hoping to use her familiarity with the MSLTA courts and the home crowd to her advantage. But Plipuech began with impressive clarity, striking cleanly from the baseline and dictating the tempo of rallies.
The Thai player took the opening set 6–2, repeatedly finding depth on her groundstrokes and forcing Raina into defensive positions. Raina struggled to settle early, with Plipuech’s ability to change direction off both wings creating constant pressure.
However, the second set saw a dramatic turnaround. Raina adjusted her court positioning, stepped inside the baseline and began taking the ball earlier. The shift paid off immediately as she ran through the set 6–1, breaking Plipuech multiple times and lifting the energy inside Centre Court. With both players having dominated a set each, the decider became a battle of endurance and nerve. Raina looked poised to push ahead, but Plipuech responded with strong serving and well-timed aggression. At 4–4, the Thai player found the crucial break, before holding her nerve to close out the match at 6–4, sealing her spot in the main draw.
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For Raina, it was a frustrating end to her campaign, but the match also highlighted how narrow the margins are in WTA 125K qualifying, where experienced campaigners and hungry challengers collide every day.
Matsuda delivers the upset of the day
Earlier, Japanese player Matsuda Misaki produced arguably the biggest shock of the qualifiers by eliminating top seed Nicole Fossa Huergo of Argentina. After a slightly tentative opening phase, Matsuda found her rhythm and controlled the match with compact strokes and sharp court coverage.
She eventually secured a 7–5, 6–4 win in one hour and 33 minutes, sending the No. 1 seed out of the tournament and announcing herself as a dangerous float in the main draw. Matsuda’s ability to stay calm on key points and absorb Fossa Huergo’s power proved decisive, especially in the closing games of both sets. Poland’s Zuzzana Pawlikowska was forced into the longest battle of the day, grinding her way past Finland’s Anastasia Kulikova in a match that stretched beyond three hours. The contest was a test of both stamina and mental resilience.
Pawlikowska took the opening set 6–3, but Kulikova responded strongly in the second, levelling the match with a 6–4 win. Neither player was willing to give ground in the decider, and it eventually came down to a tense tiebreak. Pawlikowska held her nerve to take it 7–4, closing out the match 6–3, 4–6, 7–6 and earning her place in the main draw.
Sidorova completes a strong day
In the final match of the day, Russia’s Kristina Sidorova delivered a composed and authoritative performance against Morocco’s Yasmine Kabbaj, the second seed in the qualifiers. Sidorova controlled the baseline exchanges and took advantage of her opportunities to post a 6–4, 6–2 victory, rounding off a productive day of tennis at MSLTA.
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With Plipuech, Matsuda, Pawlikowska and Sidorova all advancing, the main draw of the L&T Mumbai Open WTA 125K Series has gained an added layer of intrigue. Qualifiers often bring not just match fitness but also confidence built through hard-fought victories, and these players will now carry momentum into the main rounds.
For Indian fans, Raina’s exit was disappointing, but the overall quality of the qualifying action reinforced the strength of the tournament field. With international players pushing each other to the limit even before the main draw begins, the stage is set for a compelling week of tennis in Mumbai.
The main draw matches will be streamed live on the MSLTA Mumbai YouTube channel, allowing fans across the country to follow the action as some of the best players on the WTA Challenger circuit battle for ranking points, prize money and a prestigious title on Indian soil.
