15-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran secures main draw spot at Mumbai Open

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 3 (ANI): Fifteen-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran scripted another sensational win at the Mumbai Open WTA 125 Series in Mumbai on Monday. She prevailed against Jessica Failla, winning 7-6, 1-6, 6-4 in a nail-biting encounter at the Cricket Club of India to seal her place in the main draws.

Maaya Rajeshwaran registered her second win of the tournament, having defeated world number 265 Nicole Fossa Huergo in the previous round. She will now be part of the main draw and will be up against Yuriko Lily Miyazaki of Great Britain, as per a press release from Mumbai Open.

The young tennis star has been part of the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain, while competing in ITF Juniors tournaments around the world.

After confirming her participation in the main draw, Maaya reflected on her performance and reiterated her goals. She said, "First of all, I was pretty happy with qualifying because that was my first goal when I entered the tournament. My goals are not done yet, but the first goal is accomplished for now. She did test me in the third set, but I am happy to win."

The 15-year-old prodigy also shed some light on the kind of support she has received in her journey, especially from her parents.

She mentioned, "One thing that I am really happy about is that my dad doesn't trouble with me often, because I do not play tournaments in India, but when I travel in India, he comes. I am very happy when he travels because if he is there, I really have my head down and focus. He helps me remain calm, so even if I am playing a very tough match, he will be there to support me. I feel like almost 100 per cent of my pressure goes to him at that point, so I will be at ease."

While Maaya's mother travels with her consistently, she also receives support from Amalgam Steel, who has been her sponsor for the last couple of years. They leave no stone unturned to contribute towards her growth and provide continuous support in her journey.

Speaking on her experience of being part of the qualifying draws at theMumbai Open WTA 125 Series, Maaya stated, "It does feel pretty good. It's not something new that I've been doing, but in the WTA circuit, yes, it does feel pretty amazing. I also want to thank the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) for having faith in me and giving me an opportunity as the wildcard at such a prestigious event." (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)