Impressive Thombare keeps India’s hopes alive

Mumbai, February 10: Prarthana Thombare kept Indian hopes alive. The Indian No. 1 doubles player Thombare along with her Dutch partner Arianne Hartono reached the doubles final at the L&T Mumbai Open WTA 125K Series Tennis Championships, being organized by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) and the Cricket Club of India (CCI), on Saturday.

Maharashtra's Thombare and Hartono showed terrific understanding and combined perfectly to record a comfortable 6-2, 6-1 win over the Kazakhstan-South Korean pairing of Zhibek Kulambayeva and Sohyun Park in the second semi-final played under floodlights at the iconic CCI courts.

In the finals, the Indo-Dutch combination will clash with second seeds Dalila Jakupovic of Slovenia and American Sabrina Santamaria. The Slovenian-American duo defeated Great Britain’s Naiktha Bains and Hungary’s Fanny Stollar 6-4, 6-1 in the other semi-final.

Earlier, sixth seed Darja Semenistaja of Latvia, and Storm Hunter of Australia, cruised into the singles final.

The 21-year-old Latvian Semenistaja, who won an ITF title in Bengaluru last month, continued her success on Indian soil with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Dutchwoman Arianne Hartono at the floodlit CCI courts on Saturday evening.

Hunter, the world’s third-ranked doubles player, upset eighth seed Katie Volynets 6-4, 7-6 in the first semi-final of the day. The 29-year-old left-hander, a Grand Slam champion in the mixed doubles format, continued her strong start to the season in singles. Last month, she qualified and went on to reach the third round of the Australian Open women’s singles draw – her best performance in a singles Grand Slam event. Hunter also reached the semi-finals of the women’s doubles event in Melbourne.

Sunday’s clash between the two left-handers will be the first career meeting between Semenistaja and Hunter. Both will also be playing their first singles final at the WTA $125K Series level and whoever triumphs would claim the biggest singles title of their career so far.

L&T Mumbai Open WTA 125K Series Results, Saturday February 10, 2024

Singles Semi-Finals

[6] Darja Semenistaja (LAT) def. Arianne Hartono (NED) 7-5, 6-4

Storm Hunter (AUS) def. [8] Katie Volynets (USA) 6-4, 7-6 (4)

Doubles Semi-Finals

(2) Dalila Jakupovic (SLO)/ Sabrina Santamaria (USA) def. Naiktha Bains (GBR)/ Fanny Stollar (HUN) 6-4, 6-1

Arianne Hartono (NED)/ Prarthana Thombare (IND) def. Zhibek Kulambayeva (KAZ)/ Sohyun Park (KOR) 6-2, 6-1

About the L&T Mumbai Open WTA 125 Series

L&T Mumbai Open Tennis Championships is returning to Mumbai after a gap of six years, with reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka winning the inaugural edition in 2017 as a teenager and Thailand's Luksika Kumkhum winning the title in 2018.