Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi is 15 years old, unranked on the WTA tour and had no plans to play this week until she received a wildcard for the qualifiers of the Mumbai Open WTA 125. One history-making week and five matches later, she is the first Indian to reach a singles semifinal at any home WTA tournament since Sania Mirza.
The teenager won her quarterfinal after another impressive fightback, beating world no. 285 Mei Yamaguchi 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in just under two hours. Her composure and ability to reset positively after a poor shot were as big weapons as her deep groundstrokes in a memorable win. It’s very early days yet, but if things — chief among them sustained fitness — fall into place, this week could be the origin story of Indian tennis’ brightest new hope.
She is the first player born in 2009 to make the last four of a main draw at this level, according to WTA. From a junior top 60, she will soon be in the top 600 of the WTA rankings. No one saw this kind of a game-changing week coming, not even the self-assured Maaya who admits she didn’t think she would come this far in what is her biggest tournament at the senior level. What she did know was that if she can keep her physicality going, she had the skill and mindset to go against the experience of her opponents.
“This was my third three-set match this week and in all three of them I took the first and lost the second. So, this is not something new for me. In the third set, I reset and I thought I’m not going to look back. The moment I lost the second that I knew I had to go all out in the third. whenever I do that, if I get my legs going, I’ll be winning,” she told reporters after her win.
The Coimbatore native, who has received a scholarship to the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, seemed to channel the institute’s founder as she patiently built her points and stayed in the rallies when things were not going her way. How she has regrouped after stumbles through this week is a significant indication of her temperament and potential, as much the scholarship.
Already a huge crowd favourite in Mumbai, she had a shaky start against Yamaguchi in front of a nearly full house of loud supporters. She was broken in the first game after a couple of overreaching shots and had to save break points to hold her second. Perhaps it was nerves, perhaps it was the deceptive power and angles of her Japanese opponent, but her serve came under early pressure. But she managed to stay calm and settle down, soon finding both the break back and the lines on her strokes.
She broke again and take the lead and just when it looked like she would take this in straight games, there was a new challenge to overcome as Yamaguchi found her rhythm as her own serve dipped.
Conventional tennis pattern suggested that the third set would be a tight contest, but nothing about Maaya’s Mumbai run so far is conventional. She didn’t buckle down, but went for a higher gear instead, shrugging off the dropped set with remarkable ease and adapting mid-match.
The 15-year-old was energised and precise once again, thwacking the ball, painting the lines with aces and winners to go 5-1 up and clinch the match soon after, as a loud, adoring crowd cheered her on.
The positive approach in the deep, almost risky points she chose to set up was refreshing, as was her response to pressure. The choice was a bold one, but she said she knew it was a now or never. “She wasn’t giving me any free points, so I had to take them, she made me earn my points. I knew that if I don’t step up, I’ll definitely regret it later,” she said pragmatic as ever, as a crowd of young ones gathered around for photos.
These — both the performance and her reception — are not sights you see often in Indian tennis these days, certainly not in the women’s game. Up next for her will be her biggest challenge yet, former world no. 21 and Swiss left-hander Jil Teichmann, who beat big-hitting Indian Shrivalli Bhamidapaty in the quarterfinals.
Her positive approach backing a versatile game has worked wonders for Maaya and she will hope she can make a mark against a tough, experienced opponent. However, no matter what happens on semifinal Saturday, Maaya has made this Mumbai Open her moment.
Maaya’s semifinal will start at 6.30 PM IST on Saturday and will be streamed on WTA channels.
