Zhibek Kulambayeva beat Mei Yamaguchi 6–4, 7–5 on November 3 to reach the second round of the Chennai Open, winning their second meeting at the tournament in three days.
The Kazakh qualifier had already defeated Yamaguchi in the final qualifying round on November 1. Yamaguchi returned to the main draw as a lucky loser, giving the pair an immediate rematch.
This time Kulambayeva finished in straight sets in one hour and 59 minutes, according to the WTA’s official summary. The tour’s match record and Tennis.com’s completed scorecard agree on the 6–4, 7–5 result.
The victory secured Kulambayeva a place in the last 16 of the WTA 250 event. The Chennai tournament is being played on outdoor hard courts at the SDAT Tennis Stadium and continues through November 8.
Archive photograph: the ATP Chennai Open at SDAT Nungambakkam Tennis Stadium in January 2011. Not the 2026 women’s tournament or this match. Photo: “Aircel Chennai Open” by Ashok Prabhakaran, CC BY-SA 2.0. Display may resize or crop the image. Any adaptations remain under the linked licence.
