Magda Linette, currently ranked third, managed to turn the tide by defeating Japan’s Mai Hontama, who is ranked 160th. After trailing by a set and facing a break point in the decisive set, Linette won the match with a score of 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the WTA 250 in Chennai on Friday, following a battle lasting 2 hours and 37 minutes. She is now set to face either seventh seed Anastasia Zakharova or tenth seed Lucrezia Stefanini in the semifinals.
Performance Overview
This victory marks Linette’s second semifinal appearance of the season on the circuit, following her performance in s-Hertogenbosch on grass. Additionally, she improves her record in Chennai to 6-1. Notably, she reached the final of this event last year, also as the third seed.
Match Dynamics
Hontama quickly took the initiative by winning the first set 6-4 and managed a break at the start of the second set, taking a 2-0 lead. The decisive set followed a similar pattern, with Hontama breaking in the first game using her third break point, while maintaining her serve to lead 2-0.
She broke again in the final game, converting her third match point. Linette recorded six aces, while her opponent did not manage a single ace, and won 71% of her first serve points compared to 61% for Hontama. Linette also achieved four breaks, while Hontama successfully saved seven of the eleven break points she faced.
Chennai Open 2026 Quarterfinal Results
Janice Tjen (1) defeated Polina Kudermetova (6) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
Robin Montgomery defeated Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathy (WC) 6-3, 6-3
Magda Linette (3) defeated Mai Hontama 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
Anastasia Zakharova (7) vs. Lucrezia Stefanini (10)
In bold: today’s results.