ITF J300: Maaya Rajeshwaran Claims Girls' Singles Title, Hwang Dominates Boys' Final
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New Delhi, Jan 11 (NationPress) India's Maaya Rajeshwaran concluded an outstanding week on a high note by clinching the girls' singles title at the ITF J300 tournament, while Korean athlete Donghyon Hwang captured the boys' singles crown at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) Complex this Saturday.
The 15-year-old Maaya achieved her first singles title since December 2023, triumphing over Ekaterina Tupitsyna with a scoreline of 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 in a gripping final.
Tupitsyna started strong, putting the home favorite on the defensive. Yet, Maaya demonstrated remarkable determination and managed to turn the match around, eventually forcing a decisive third set. It seemed that Tupitsyna may have lacked the stamina to continue as Maaya seized the momentum.
Previously, Maaya had secured a title in December 2023 in a J100 event held in Pune. Since then, her best performance was reaching the semifinals in Durban in September 2024, as she faced challenges in the first half of the season.
"I had defeated her about 4-5 months ago, but I wasn't at my best today. I nearly lost the second set, so I had to concentrate and take risks. I'm relieved I managed to pull through," Maaya commented post-match.
In the semifinals on Friday, Maaya narrowly won against second seed Eleejah Inisan from France, with a score of 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-2, setting up her final match against Ekaterina Tupitsyna.
Maaya has been in exceptional form, which she showcased by defeating Inisan in a fiercely contested girls' singles semifinal at the DLTA Complex. She successfully handled the pressure to secure her place in the final.
In stark contrast, Hwang displayed dominance in the boys' singles final, winning decisively 6-1, 6-1 against unseeded American of Indian descent Roshan Santhosh, who appeared surprisingly passive during the crucial match.
India's aspirations in the boys' singles came to an end when top seed Senthil Kumar faced a semifinal defeat on Friday. Senthil had been performing exceptionally well, but his journey was halted by Korean fourth seed Donghyun Hwang, who won with a score of 6-4, 6-1. After losing the first set, Hwang accelerated his pace to clinch the match with a double break.
