India’s top-ranked women’s singles player, Sahaja Yamalapalli, continued her steady start to the 2026 season with a solid straight-sets victory at the ITF W75 Nonthaburi in Thailand, defeating home wildcard Anchisa Chanta 6-3, 7-5 to book her place in the quarterfinals.
Ranked 378 in the WTA rankings, Yamalapalli entered the Round of 16 clash as the favourite against the world No.449, but the match demanded focus and patience, especially with the Thai crowd firmly behind Chanta. Sahaja responded with maturity, controlling key moments in both sets to close out the contest in straight games and underline her growing consistency at the $60,000–$75,000 ITF level.
The opening set saw Yamalapalli settle quickly into her rhythm. She established early control with her serve, using depth and placement to push Chanta behind the baseline. Sahaja’s forehand did much of the damage, allowing her to dictate rallies and force errors from the Thai player, who struggled to sustain longer exchanges. A crucial break midway through the set proved decisive, as Sahaja maintained her composure to close out the first set 6-3 without allowing Chanta any real opening to claw back.
The second set was a more competitive affair. Chanta, buoyed by home support, raised her intensity and began stepping inside the court to take the ball early. The Thai wildcard mixed up her play better, testing Sahaja’s movement and patience. Yamalapalli, however, showed improved tactical awareness, resisting the urge to overhit and instead constructing points carefully.
At 5-5 in the second set, Sahaja produced her best tennis of the match. She held serve confidently before breaking Chanta at a critical juncture, capitalizing on a series of unforced errors from the Thai player. Serving for the match, Sahaja remained calm under pressure, closing out the set 7-5 to seal a deserved win.
This victory is another encouraging sign for Yamalapalli, who has been steadily rebuilding momentum on the ITF circuit after an injury-interrupted phase earlier in her career. Her performances in Nonthaburi reflect improved physical conditioning and greater clarity in her baseline game, particularly in managing tight moments against lower-ranked but motivated opponents.
Earlier in the tournament, Sahaja had already made headlines by defeating former world No. 96 Chloe Paquet in the opening round, a result that set the tone for her campaign. Backing that up with a controlled win against Chanta demonstrates her ability to handle expectation — an important step for a player looking to climb back towards the top 300 and beyond.
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Awaiting Sahaja in the quarterfinals is a significantly tougher challenge in Italy’s Lisa Pigato, currently ranked 266 in the world. Pigato, a former junior world No. 1, brings a different level of intensity and experience, particularly on hard courts. The matchup promises to be a strong test of Sahaja’s defensive resilience and shot tolerance, areas that have shown improvement over the past few months.
For Sahaja, matches like these are crucial in bridging the gap between strong ITF performances and sustained success at higher-tier events. A deep run at a W75 tournament not only offers valuable ranking points but also provides confidence against players who regularly compete in WTA qualifiers and main draws.
Indian women’s tennis, often short on consistent singles results at this level, will take heart from Sahaja’s progress. While the road ahead remains challenging, her run in Nonthaburi reinforces her status as India’s current women’s singles No.1 and a player capable of holding her own against a competitive international field.
As she steps into the quarterfinals, Yamalapalli will look to build on this momentum, knowing that each win at this level brings her closer to her larger goals on the professional circuit.
