Roland-Garros junior champion Lilli Tagger Marches into Mumbai quarter-finals

Austrian teenager Lilli Tagger, the No 7 seed, secured her place in the quarter-finals of the L & T Mumbai Open with a dominant 6-2, 6-2 victory over Japanese qualifier Eri Shimizu on Thursday afternoon. The 17-year-old, who captured the French Open junior singles title last season, continues to prove why she is considered one of the sport’s most promising prospects.

Now ranked at a career-high No 128, Tagger utilized her powerful baseline game and signature one-handed backhand to dismantle the 413th-ranked Shimizu in just over an hour of play.

“I am very happy with how I am playing right now. Working with Francesca has helped me stay focused on the tactical side and just enjoy the moment on court. I am looking forward to the next match,” Tagger said in her post-match comments.

While this is another deep run for the Austrian, it is not her first WTA-level quarter-final; Tagger made headlines late in 2025 by reaching the final of the WTA 250 in Jiangxi. Currently training under the mentorship of 2010 Roland-Garros champion Francesca Schiavone, Tagger entered the second round following a 7-5, 6-4 win over India’s Vaishnavi Adkar.

Shimizu had reached this stage by defeating local favorite Sahaja Yamalapalli 7-5, 6-2. Tagger will now face second seed Darja Semenistaja of Latvia, who advanced with a 6-4, 7-6 (3) win over Mai Hontama.

L & T Mumbai Open: Quarter-Final Draw

The quarter-final matchups for the 2026 Mumbai Open are now set as follows:

• Top Half:
  • Mananchaya Sawangkaew (THA) vs Tatiana Prozorova (9)
  
  • Leolia Jeanjean (FRA, 3) vs Lanlana Tararudee (THA, 5)
• Bottom Half:
  • Mei Yamaguchi (JPN) vs Tian Fangran (CHN)
  • Lilli Tagger (AUT, 7) vs Darja Semenistaja (LAT, 2)