Mananchaya Sawangkaew reigns supreme at Mumbai Open WTA 125K Series
Mumbai, February 8
It was redemption for Thailand's Mananchaya Sawangkaew at the fifth edition of the Mumbai Open WTA 125K Series on Sunday, according to a release.
The 23-year-old, who finished as the runner-up in the Singles draw last year, secured her maiden Mumbai Open title after overcoming 17-year-old Lilli Tagger in the finals at the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA).
The Thailand player received 125 points, along with her grand prize of $15,500, while the runner-up received 81 points and $8,400.
Meanwhile, in the Doubles, Elena Pridankina and Polina Iatcenko were crowned champions. The doubles winners bagged 125 points with a grand prize of $6,000, while the runners-up earned 81 points with a prize of $4,300.
It was a tense start to the Singles match with neither player giving away an inch in the opening set.
The last season's runner-up eventually drew first blood, managing to clinch a crucial break at 4-4 and went on to secure the first set thereafter. Despite Tagger fighting hard in the second set, the Austrian fell agonisingly short as Mananchaya prevailed 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and 25 minutes.
Later in the day, the Doubles final went the distance as last year's champion Elena Pridankina clinched her second Mumbai Open doubles title in as many years, this time partnering with her fellow counterpart Polina Iatcenko.
The duo defeated Mananchaya Sawangkaew and Nicole Fossa Huergo in a thrilling tiebreaker, registering a 7-6 (7-3), 1-6, (10-5) win to be crowned as the Doubles champions.
Results:
Singles Final:
Mananchaya Sawangkaew (THA) bt Lilli Tagger (AUT): 6-4, 6-3
Doubles Final:
Elena Pridankina/Polina Iatcenko bt Mananchaya Sawangkaew (THA)/Nicole Fossa Huergo (ARG): 7-6 (7-3), 1-6, (10-5).
— ANI
Reader Comments
Congratulations to the champion! But honestly, where were our Indian players? We have a huge talent pool. The organizers and AITA need to ensure more wild cards for our home players in future editions. It's our tournament after all.
The doubles final sounded absolutely thrilling! A tiebreaker in the third set... wish I could have been there at the MSLTA. Great coverage by the media. Lilli Tagger is only 17, she has a bright future ahead.
Well done to all the players. The prize money seems quite low for a WTA 125K event, no? $15,500 for the singles winner? Hopefully, with more sponsors next year, the prize pool can be increased to attract even bigger names.
Kudos to the organizers for putting up a great show. Mumbai Open is slowly becoming a staple in the tennis calendar. Mananchaya playing in both singles and doubles finals on the same day is sheer stamina! Respect. 👏
Good to see tennis thriving. But the article could have given more details about the crowd, the atmosphere. Was it a full house? How was the experience for spectators? Sometimes sports journalism in India focuses only on the results.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.