Sawangkaew sets up title clash with Tagger

The Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association’s (MSLTA) centre court took on a distinctly Thai flavour on Saturday as Mananchaya Sawangkaew battled past compatriot Lanlana Tararudee in a gripping three-set semifinal, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, to reach the final for the second consecutive year at the L&T Mumbai Open 125K Series here on Saturday.

The 23-year-old Sawangkaew set the tone early, asserting herself from the baseline with sharp footwork and measured aggression. She moved the ball intelligently across the court, opened up angles with clean down-the-line strikes, and closed out points with assured finishing at the net. Tararudee struggled to withstand the sustained pressure, committing a string of unforced errors as Sawangkaew wrapped up the opening set 6-2.

Tararudee mounted a strong response in the second set, tightening her service games and finding greater bite on both serve and return. She began to turn defence into offence, using depth and timing to disrupt Sawangkaew’s rhythm. With Sawangkaew faltering on the return and Tararudee lifting her first-serve percentage — highlighted by a couple of well-placed aces — the momentum swung in her favour as she claimed the set 6-3.

The momentum shift was short-lived, however, as Tararudee seemed visibly rattled in the decider, distracted and thrown off by the thunderous beat of drums and dhols just outside the venue. Sawangkaew pounced on the opportunity, breaking early and stepping inside the baseline to dictate the rallies. With heavier groundstrokes, sharp angles, and relentless court coverage, she kept Tararudee chasing shadows, racing through the final set 6-1 to book her place in the championship match.

Other results: Singles (semifinal): Lilli Tagger (Aut) bt Fangran Tian (Chn) 6-2, 7-6(3).