Mumbai Open WTA: The dream run of 15-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran came to an end in the semifinals of the Mumbai Open WTA 125 Series event here, when she lost in straight sets against Jil Teichmann 3-6,1-6 at the Cricket Club of India on Saturday.
Maaya, who is coached by R. Manoj Kumar, had started the tournament as a wildcard entry, and made the semifinals, in what was her first senior tournament. India’s Prarthana Thambore alongside Dutch partner Arianne Hartono will play in the doubles final on Sunday.
Jil set the tone for the first set early on by winning the first four games of the opening set. Maaya tried to regain her form by winning the next two games in a row. However, the experienced Swiss fought back well and ended the first set 6-3 in her favour. Jil continued to build on her momentum in the second set winning the first four but Maaya’s relentless efforts helped her win the fifth game. The young Indian prodigy couldn’t keep up with Jil’s consistent strong returns and bagged the second set and a seat in the final, with a score of 6-1.