The 17-year-old Rajeshwaran, who had become the first Indian woman to reach the quarterfinals of a Tour-level event since Sania Mirza in 2012, showed early promise under the floodlights. Despite the height and power advantage held by the 22-year-old American, the local favorite managed to secure an early break in the fifth game of the opening set, capitalising on a netted backhand from the World No. 151.
Montgomery asserts control to secure semifinal spot
The momentum shifted quickly as Montgomery, a former World No. 95, responded by breaking back immediately. Rajeshwaran struggled to consolidate her lead, and a series of double faults in the eighth game allowed the American to seize control of the match. Montgomery successfully served out the first set before establishing a double-break advantage early in the second.
Although Rajeshwaran managed to retrieve one of the breaks, Montgomery remained composed, holding serve to move to a 5-3 lead. She ultimately closed out the match with a crosscourt backhand winner, breaking the Indian for the third time in the set to seal her place in the final four. Montgomery is now set to face top-seeded Indonesian Janice Tjen, who advanced after a hard-fought 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 comeback victory against Polina Kudermetova.
While the singles draw saw the end of the Indian campaign, the host nation found success in the doubles competition. Vaishnavi Adkar and Rutuja Bhosale secured a 7-5, 6-4 win over the pairing of Montgomery and Jodie Burrage to reach the semifinals. Conversely, the duo of Rajeshwaran and Shrivalli Bhamidipaty exited the tournament following a 3-6, 4-6 defeat to Isabelle Haverlag and Panna Udvardy.
