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Vaishnavi Adkar and Rutuja Bhosale became the first all-Indian women pair to reach a WTA Tour doubles final by defeating Weronika Falkowska and Alana Smith at the Chennai Open.
Vaishnavi Adkar and Rutuja Bhosale (vaishnavi__adkar, Instagram)
India’s Vaishnavi Adkar and Rutuja Bhosale scripted history at the Chennai Open on Saturday, becoming the first all-Indian women’s pair to reach a doubles final at the main WTA Tour level.
The Indian duo overcame second seeds Weronika Falkowska of Poland and Alana Smith of the USA 6-2, 2-6, 10-8 in a hard-fought semifinal, recovering from a second-set collapse to clinch the deciding super tie-break.
The milestone marks a significant moment for Indian women’s tennis, with no all-Indian combination having previously reached a final on the main WTA Tour.
Shikha Uberoi and her sister Neha had contested the finals of the 2005 Sunfeast Open and Guangzhou Open. However, Neha represented the USA, making them an Indo-American pairing.
Former India star Sania Mirza won 43 doubles titles during her career but never partnered an Indian player in any of those victories.
Ankita Raina and Karman Thandi won a WTA 125 doubles title in 2018, while Prarthna Thombare featured in three WTA 125 finals alongside Dutch player Arianne Hartono. However, WTA 125 events are a level below the main Tour.
Adkar and Bhosale made a dominant start to Saturday’s semifinal, taking a 4-1 lead in the opening set by capitalising on errors from their opponents.
The first break came in the third game when Adkar attacked Smith’s second serve with an aggressive return, which Falkowska failed to handle. Bhosale followed it up with a comfortable hold before converting another break opportunity with a powerful forehand return after Falkowska sent a forehand long.
The second seeds struggled to find their footing as the Indians closed out the opening set without much resistance.
The contest took a different turn in the second set, however, as Adkar and Bhosale failed to convert break opportunities in the third and fifth games.
Adkar then endured a difficult sixth game, losing her serve without winning a point after committing two successive double faults. The Indians also struggled to put away points at the net as Falkowska and Smith began to take control.
Adkar, who had required medical attention during her singles second-round match as well, received another medical timeout for treatment to her strapped left thigh.
Bhosale subsequently found herself under pressure on serve, and the second seeds converted their first of three break points to take the match into a deciding super tie-break.
Falkowska and Smith carried their momentum into the decider, racing to a 3-0 lead. The Indians fought back, though, refusing to let the contest slip away.
Bhosale produced a fine point but followed it with a double fault to leave the Indian pair trailing 6-8. She responded with a forehand winner, passing Smith to bring the deficit down to one point.
Adkar then delivered a winning volley to earn match point before finishing the contest with a superb forehand down the line, sealing a landmark victory and sending the home pair into the final.
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Ask News18Vaishnavi Adkar and Rutuja Bhosale made history at the Chennai Open by becoming the first all-Indian women’s pair to reach a doubles final at the main WTA Tour level.
Ask News18November 07, 2026, 19:30 IST
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