4th seed Vaidehi Chaudhari (IND, 413) stormed into the singles quarterfinals at 2026 ITF W35 Sydney on Thursday, rallying from a set down and reeling off 10 consecutive games from 1-1 in the 2nd set to defeat qualifier Lucia Gale (NZL, UNR) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 in 1 hour and 53 minutes.
10-game surge and 9 service breaks power Chaudhari into last 8
After dropping a back-and-forth 37-minute opening set 4-6 that featured 5 breaks of serve, 4th seed Vaidehi Chaudhari (IND, 413) seized complete control of the baseline exchanges from 1-1 in the 34-minute 2nd set. The 26-year-old reeled off 5 straight games—highlighted by a 10-point hold from 30-40 down at 4-1—to level the match at 6-1, and carried that momentum directly into the 42-minute decider by racing out to a 5-0 lead for 10 consecutive games won.
Although qualifier Lucia Gale (NZL, UNR) saved 1st match point in a 14-point 6th game and pulled 1 break back for 2-5, Chaudhari broke the New Zealander to 15 (40-15) in the 8th game to close out the 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory. Across the 1-hour, 53-minute contest, Chaudhari won 47 of 81 return points (58.0%), converted 9 of 16 break points (56.3%), and claimed 84 of the 151 total points played (55.6%).
| Round | Match | Score | Match Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| R16 | [4] Vaidehi Chaudhari (IND, 413) def. [Q] Lucia Gale (NZL, UNR) | 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 | Won 10 straight games from 1-1 in Set 2 and broke serve 9 times in 13 return games across 1h 53m. |
| R32 | [4] Vaidehi Chaudhari (IND, 413) def. Chia Yi Tsao (TPE, 727) | 6-4, 7-5 | Saved 10/12 (83.3%) break points and won 83 of 157 total points across 2h 22m. |
Locked at 1-1 in Set 2 after dropping the opener 4-6, Chaudhari reeled off 10 consecutive games—saving 2 break points in a 10-point hold at 4-1 in Set 2 and holding to love for 5-0 in Set 3—to turn a 1-set deficit into a commanding 4-6, 6-1, 5-0 lead.
- 10 consecutive games won by Chaudhari from 1-1 in Set 2 to 5-0 in Set 3, taking 12 of the final 14 games of the match.
- 9/16 (56.3%) break points converted across 13 return games, backed by 47/81 (58.0%) return points won.
- 84/151 (55.6%) total points won in 1 hour and 53 minutes (37m Set 1, 34m Set 2, 42m Set 3).
Next up: Singles QF vs. Funa Kozaki
| Round | Match | Court | Scheduled Start Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| QF | [4] Vaidehi Chaudhari (IND, 413) vs. Funa Kozaki (JPN, UNR) | TBA (Sydney) | Friday, Oct 30 · 4:30 AM IST (10:00 AM AEDT) |