Young talents Tanishka Kalbhairav and Naisha Rewaskar secured wins in their women’s singles matches, advancing to the final qualifying round of the WTT Star Contender Chennai 2026. Tanishka, aged 13, defeated Maria Rony 3-1, while Naisha triumphed over Palak Ghia 3-0. The tournament in Chennai features an increased prize purse of USD 300,000.
Gungun Sahu caused an upset by defeating Hardee Patel 3-1, earning a spot in the final qualifying round. In the men’s singles category, Umesh Kumar staged a comeback to beat Rajiv Chikanbanjar 3-1, progressing to the third qualifying round. Wildcard entrants Punit Biswas and Balamurgan Rajasekaran also advanced after winning their matches.
The competition will continue with more matches, including Ankur Bhattacharjee facing Oh Seunghwan and Shivjit Lamba taking on Carlo Rossi in the upcoming rounds. The event promises intense action as players vie for spots in the prestigious tournament.
