Maaya Revathi Upsets Fourth Seed in Fenesta Open, Advances to Next Round

Maaya Revathi stunned fourth-seeded Arunkumar Prabh with a 6-1, 6-1 victory at the Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship. The 15-year-old from Tamil Nadu showcased exceptional skill, breaking her opponent's serve multiple times to secure her place in the next round. The tournament continues to display India's promising tennis talents.

Maaya Revathi produced a scintillating performance to upset fourth-seeded Arunkumar Prabh 6-1, 6-1 in straight sets in the first round of the ongoing 29th Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi on Tuesday. The 15-year-old from Tamil Nadu lost the first game of the opening set but soon found her groove, using swift movements and sublime net play to break Prabh's serve. Revathi continued her momentum, winning the next five games in a row to clinch the first set.

Maaya, who holds the record for the longest ITF Juniors winning streak, looked even better in the second set, breaking her opponent's serve in the first game and quickly taking a 2-0 lead. Lakshmi pushed to make a comeback after winning the third game, but the five ITF Juniors singles titles and three ITF Juniors doubles titles winner maintained her momentum to secure a decisive victory and move to the next round of the tournament. India's largest domestic tennis tournament, under the aegis of the All India Tennis Association and Delhi Lawn Tennis Association, will witness the participation of exciting talents from various parts of the country vying for the coveted crowns. The tournament has previously featured some of India's top tennis stars, including Rohan Bopanna, Somdev Devvarman, Yuki Bhambri, Sania Mirza, and Rutuja Bhosale.

Meanwhile, second-seeded Manish Sureshkumar of Tamil Nadu also made a commendable start in the men's singles category by defeating Jagmeet Singh of Haryana to reach the second round. The first set was a nail-biter, going into a tie-breaker where Sureshkumar's powerful forehand clinched it 7-6 (4). He then dominated the second set, winning it 6-0 without dropping a game.

In other men's singles first-round matches, Telangana's Theertha Shashank defeated Shivank Bhatnagar of Delhi 6-4, 6-2, while Manipur's Bhusan Haobam beat Suraj R Prabodh of Karnataka 6-1, 7-5 in straight sets. In the women's singles category, Pooja Inghale of Maharashtra got the better of Telangana's Nirali Padaniya 6-3, 6-1. Seventh-seed Maharashtra's Sejal Bhutada overcame Vidhi Jani of Gujarat 6-0, 3-6, 7-5 in a thrilling three-set match.

Apart from the prestigious titles, the winners will receive prize money from a pool totaling over Rs 21.55 lakh and kit allowance in the junior categories. The U16 and U14 singles event champions and runners-up will also be awarded a Tennis scholarship of Rs 25,000 each. Qualifying and main draw matches for the Boys and Girls Under-16 & Under-14 categories are scheduled from October 5 to October 12, according to event organizers. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)