Mumbai Open 2026: Mai Hontama, Mananchaya Sanwangkaew advance on main draw Day 1; Ankita Raina bows out
(Courtesy : L&T Mumbai Open)
Ankita Raina lost to Misaki Matsuda in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0.
The opening day of the Main Draw served up a series of well-contested matches at the L&T Mumbai Open 125K Series, held at the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) on Monday.
Mananchaya Sanwangkaew, Leolia Jeanjean, Mai Hontama, Misaki Matsuda, Miho Kuramochi and Mei Yamaguchi, all progressed to the next round with notable wins.
The day’s action began with the Japanese right hander Mai Hontama’s dominant victory over 21-year-old Alevtina Ibragimova in straight sets. Despite a spirited comeback by Ibragimova in the second set, Hontama kept her nerve to win the match 6-1, 6-4.
Mananchaya Sanwangkaew, the runner up from the previous season, cruised past her Slovakian opponent, Viktoria Morvayova to progress to the Round of 16.
Mananchaya delivered a commanding performance as she won in straight sets, winning 6-2, 6-1. The Thai player is one of Asia’s leading tennis stars and faced off against Emma Raducanu in the latest edition of the Australian Open.
After Lulu Sun withdrew from the tournament due to illness, Indian veteran Ankita Raina qualified for the Main Draw to face off against the Misaki Matsuda. However, the 27-year-old Japanese beat Raina in straight sets to secure a 6-4, 6-0 win.
26-year-old Mei Yamaguchi emerged victorious after a hard-fought battle against Polina Iatcenko that lasted for 2 hours and 14 minutes. The Japanese star came back into the game after losing the first set, and went on to win the match 5-7, 6-3, 6-3.
Vaidehee Chaudhari, India’s number two ranked women’s singles player, faced the third-seed Leolia Jeanjean on centre court.
The French star – who came into the spotlight after defeating former world number one Karolina Pliskova at the French Open in 2022 – delivered a supreme performance against Vaidehee prevailing 6-2, 6-0 in the contest that lasted a little over an hour.
In the final game of the day, Japan’s Miho Kuramochi overcame Argentina’s Nicole Fossa Huergo in straight sets, winning 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and 31 minutes.
Results:
Mai Hontama (JAP) bt Alevtina Ibragimova: 6-1, 6-4
Mananchaya Sanwangkaew (THA) bt Viktoria Morvayova (SVK): 6-2, 6-1
Misaki Matsuda (JAP) bt Ankita Raina (IND): 6-4, 6-0
Mei Yamaguchi (JAP) bt Polina Iatcenko: 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
Leolia Jeanjean (FRA) bt Vaidehee Chaudhari (IND): 6-2, 6-0
Miho Kuramochi (JAP) bt Nicole Fossa Huergo (ARG): 6-4, 6-3
Which players advanced on the opening day of the main draw?
Mananchaya Sanwangkaew, Leolia Jeanjean, Mai Hontama, Misaki Matsuda, Miho Kuramochi, and Mei Yamaguchi progressed to the next round.
How did Mai Hontama perform in her opening match?
Mai Hontama defeated Alevtina Ibragimova in straight sets, winning 6-1, 6-4.
What was the result of Ankita Raina’s match?
Ankita Raina lost to Misaki Matsuda in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0.
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Alex graduated in mass communication in 2016 and has been covering global sports for Khel Now since then. He is covering sports tech, igaming, sports betting and casino domain from 2017.