Wildcard Vaishnavi Adkar falls short in final

BENGALURU: Off the court, Vaishnavi Adkar is an introvert. On it, she lets her racquet speak — usually from the baseline. Even when points slip away, the 21-year-old betrays little emotion, offering herself the occasional wry comment before resetting for the next rally.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!That understated resilience defined her remarkable run at the ITF Women’s W100 event at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium this week. Though the wildcard entrant was outplayed 0-6, 1-6 in a 56-minute final by Belgium’s third seed Hanne Vandewinkel (124), Vaishnavi left with more than a runner-up trophy — belief.Currently ranked 690 on the WTA Tour, Vaishnavi exceeded expectations by storming into her maiden W100 final.

Along the way, she toppled higherranked opponents in succession: Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee (126), Australia’s Taylah Preston (148) and Japan’s Mai Hontama (220). The wins are likely to propel her into the top 500 for the first time. “This was a solid week for me here,” said Vaishnavi, who shifted base to the city two months ago, and trains at the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy.Her satisfaction stems from context. Last season was disrupted by injuries including a hairline fracture in her shin and an abdominal strain. “After the year I had, I learned a lot from this event. It has strengthened my self-belief and confidence.” She collected 65 WTA points.With renewed confidence, Vaishnavi, who idolises Novak Djokovic, will next compete at the W35 event in Kalaburagi.