Naman Suri in Mumbai
As the Mumbai crowd showered 15-year-old Indian tennis prodigy Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi with love, respect, and admiration, despite her straight-sets semi-final defeat to Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann (6-3, 6-1), at the L&T Mumbai Open WTA 125, Maaya soaked it all in, cherishing the moment.
“I was really happy that people were understanding what was going on and happy that they have been supportive throughout the week. I have seen many people who come every day and cheer for me, and I am really grateful for that. I am really happy that they were here,” the girl from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, told RevSportz when asked about receiving a standing ovation from the home crowd despite her bittersweet experience.
“Hopefully, I will play in front of the Indian crowd again. I don’t know when it’s going to happen. Maybe next year, but I’m sure it’s not anytime soon,” she added.
Maaya reached the semi-finals after a string of gritty performances, winning three consecutive three-set matches against former Top 50 player Zarina Diyas (via retirement), Iryna Shymanovich, and most recently against Japan’s 285th-ranked Mei Yamaguchi. She defeated Yamaguchi 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in the quarters with powerful serving, deep returns, and aggressive shot-making.
However, facing the fifth seed and former Top-30 player was always going to be a tough challenge. Maaya struggled to find her rhythm, losing four consecutive games in the first set as she failed to hold serve. Teichmann controlled the match with her superior forehands, aggressive net play, and well-measured drop shots.
“One thing I wasn’t very happy about when playing a lefty was that their forehands go to my backhand. My backhand is pretty solid, but her (shots) were so heavy—her shots weren’t flat, so most of them were bouncing over my head. I was struggling with those shots. I knew she was going to hit heavy, but I didn’t expect to struggle this much,” Maaya admitted.
As a top-60 junior, Maaya anticipated that Teichmann’s doubles experience would bring her frequently to the net. “She was trying different things. I knew she was going to come in because she’s also a very good doubles player. I saw her play yesterday, too. But I felt I had opportunities to pass,” she said.
The Indian teenager managed to earn back a break in the fifth game to make it 4-1 and showed flashes of brilliance with her backhand down-the-line winners. However, Teichmann kept the 15-year-old prodigy chasing, sealing the opening set 6-3.
“I had a long week. My legs were slowing down, and as I said earlier, I always rely on my legs. I think my legs gave up today. That was something I was not happy about, and I felt it was one of the main reasons I lost,” Maaya reflected on her performance.
A wildcard qualifier, who had no initial plans to play the tournament, Maaya pushed through the main draw with an impressive run, enduring a tight schedule—six matches in eight days.
The second set followed a similar pattern as Maaya lost serve in the first two games, allowing the fifth seed to wrap up the set 6-1 and book her place in the final against Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
Maaya, on the other hand, will now travel back to Mallorca, Spain, to train at the Rafael Nadal Academy. “(Yes) I will head back next week, then play a few tournaments around and prepare for the Junior Slams with a bagful of experience,” she said.