Mumbai Open: 520th-ranked Bhamidipaty upsets second seed Hibino to reach second round

Indian qualifier Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, ranked No 520 in the world, added to the delight of home fans at the WTA Mumbai Open with an upset win over 93rd-ranked Nao Hibino, of Japan, in the first round at the Cricket Club of India on Tuesday.

A day after her compatriot Sahaja Yamalapalli stunned the top seed Kayla Day, Bhamidipaty sent the second seeded Hibino out of the tournament.

After splitting the first two sets, the 22-year-old Indian led 3-1 in the final set when the Japanese player fought back to 3-3 and the pair then held their serves and their nerves to take the match into a deciding set tiebreak. Bhamidipaty finally emerged a 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5) winner in two hours and 17 minutes.

The Indian will next face 16-year-old Russian Alina Korneeva in the second round. With Rutuja Bhosale also winning her first round match earlier on Tuesday, three Indian women have now advanced to the last 16 with India No 1 Ankita Raina to play the evening session match on Tuesday.

You might also like this

Mumbai Open: 336th-ranked Yamalapalli upsets top seed Kayla Day in first round

tennis majors

Mumbai Open: Indian wildcard Rutuja Bhosale moves into second round

tennis majors

Interview with junior star Alina Korneeva: “Everything is different on the Tour, but mostly on the mental side”

tennis majors

Mumbai WTA 125K Series, other first-round matches (Cricket Club of India, hard, USD 115,000):

• Storm Hunter beat Fanny Stollar (Q): 3-0 ret.
• Moyuka Uchijima beat Carole Monnet: 6-3, 6-3
• Rutuja Bhosale (WC) beat Peangtarn Plipuech (Q): 6-4, 7-5
• Camilla Rosatello (LL) beat Anastasia Tikhonova: 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
• Arina Rodionova (4) beat Suzan Lamens: 6-2, 7-5
• Amandine Hesse (Q) beat Lina Glushko (Q): 6-1, 6-1
• Polina Kudermetova beat Anastasia Zakharova: 7-6 (8), 6-0
• Sahaja Yamalapalli (WC) beat Kayla Day (1): 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
• Sohyun Park (LL) beat Vaishnavi Adkar (WC): 6-2, 2-6, 6-1
• Laura Pigossi (5) beat Ekaterina Makarova: 6-1, 3-0 ret.
• Alina Korneeva beat Chloe Paquet: 6-1, 6-3
• Arianne Hartono beat Irina Bara: 6-4, 6-4
• Darja Semenistaja (6) beat Panna Udvardy: 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
• Katie Volynets vs. Ankita Raina
• Dalma Galfi vs. Kimberly Birrell