Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi reaches WTA singles quarterfinal at Chennai Open
The 17-year-old Coimbatore player became the first Indian woman to reach a WTA Tour-level singles quarterfinal in 14 years.
Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi reached the quarterfinals of the Chennai Open after defeating Poland's Weronika Falkowska in straight sets on Wednesday night, according to India Today.
The 17-year-old became the first Indian woman to reach a WTA Tour-level singles quarterfinal since Sania Mirza achieved the feat in February 2012. Indo-American Shikha Uberoi also reached the last eight at the WTA level in 2005.
The Coimbatore player said she was happy to win despite not being at her best, particularly with her serve. She noted that Falkowska's aggressive returning made the match difficult and required her to stop being hesitant.
Maaya said that while recognition is a nice part of an athlete's career in India, she believes it ultimately comes down to tennis. She added that she wants to focus on playing matches and finishing the year strongly rather than focusing on rankings.
The teenager has been balancing junior tennis with professional appearances this season. She previously achieved her goal of winning a professional title at an ITF event in Lagos.
Regarding her junior Grand Slam results, where she reached the US Open doubles semifinals but did not progress past the second round in singles this season, Maaya said she treats setbacks as learning experiences.