Chennai Open: Vaishnavi Adkar runs out of steam against Zakharova | Tennis News
CHENNAI: The intensity with which seventh seed Anastasia Zakharova played was something Vaishnavi Adkar has rarely experienced. The Indian couldn’t cope with it as she lost 3-6, 0-6 to Zakharova who made her way to the quarter-finals of the WTA 250 Chennai Open on Thursday. Zakharova’s powerful groundstrokes, both of the forehand and backhand, never allowed the Indian to settle down. For a brief period in the first set, however, it looked like Vaishnavi was enjoying the pace of Zakharova’s shots.Trailing by a break at 1-2, Vaishnavi’s two backhand returns off the first serve saw Zakharova get a taste of her own medicine. But the Russian took that in her stride, taking the game after Vaishnavi committed a forehand error. Unforced errors continued to haunt Vaishnavi, who committed 32 in the match, compared to her opponent’s 19. At 1-4 down, Vaishnavi failed to convert three break-point opportunities. Vaishnavi squandered her advantage with a routine backhand that failed to clear the net, allowing Zakharova to move ahead.After the sixth game, the India No. 1 took a medical timeout, during which her left thigh was heavily strapped. Zakharova, while serving for the set, was broken, but it made little difference.The world No. 107 Zakharova stepped up the aggression in the second set, taking full advantage of Vaishnavi’s slower first serves to hit winners.Linette moves into quartersAfter seven first-round exits (excluding a first-round qualifying loss) over the last four months, Magda Linette appears to be slowly finding her groove. The third seed got the better of Moyuka Uchijima 7-6(5), 6-0 to move into the last-eight stage.Linette’s ability to return Uchijima’s first serves deep kept the Japanese off balance as Uchijima struggled to engage in long rallies in the second set and got bageled after an evenly-contested opening set.Upset win for Maaya-ShrivalliMaaya Rajeshwaran Revathi and Shrivalli Bhamidipatty sailed into the quarterfinal after registering an upset win against third seed Aneta Kladivova and Aneta Laboutkova. The Indian duo went on to win 6-3, 6-2.
