India’s Sahaja Yamalapalli exited the WTA 125K Abierto Tampico in Mexico, but not before pushing World No. 125 Petra Marcinkova to the limit. On Thursday, October 16, Marcinko defeated Yamalapalli 7:5, 6:7 (5:7), 6:1 in the round of 16.
Yamalapalli remained competitive throughout the first two sets, making her opponent work hard for every point. However, once Marcinko secured the second set, she took full control. The 24-year-old Indian managed three breaks of serve but also dropped her serve three times.
Marcinko, who has also played in the qualifying rounds of all four Grand Slams, will now face world number 120 and second seed Harriet Dart in the quarter-finals.
Earlier on Wednesday, Yamalapalli made headlines stunning 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens in equal formations. The Indian needed just one hour and 10 minutes to outclass Stephens 6-2, 6-2 in the round of 32. She converted six of her nine break points and dominated her first serves, winning 76.5 percent of them.
In the women’s doubles, Yamalapalli remains in contention. On Thursday, she and Jessica Hinojosa Gomez of Mexico defeated the American duo of Katrina Scott, Usue Maitane Arconada 7-5, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals.
Yamalapalli and Gomez will face Bulgaria’s Lia Karatanchevova and Ukraine’s Valerija Strachova for a place in the semi-finals.
Hailing from Hyderabad, Yamalapalli turned pro in 2021. She has since won multiple ITF titles – four singles and one doubles – and continues to climb the rankings across the ITF and lower WTA ranks.
She previously represented Sam Houston State University in the United States during her college career, where she was praised for her consistency on the court and good academic results.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
October 16, 2025
