Wildcard Tagger Shocks WTA Veteran

Indian Wells, CA – In a stunning upset at the WTA 1000 tournament in California, 18-year-old wildcard Lilli Tagger defeated Varvara Gracheva 6-2, 6-4 on Thursday night. The victory marks Tagger’s first career win at a WTA 1000 event.

Tagger demonstrated efficiency against the world No. 58 Gracheva, securing the win after 82 minutes with a decisive break at 5-4 in the second set, converting her second match point.

“I Would Never Have Thought That a Year Ago”

“It’s crazy! A year ago I would never have thought that I would be standing here now and being able to win against such a player. That’s why I’m very proud of myself,”

Lilli Tagger

Tagger admitted to feeling very nervous during her first main draw appearance in Indian Wells, describing the experience as something special. Despite challenging windy conditions, she remained focused and determined.

Next Up: Maria Sakkari

In the second round, Tagger will face a tougher challenge in the form of Greece’s Maria Sakkari, the No. 32 seed. Sakkari received a bye in the first round.

Gracheva’s Recent Form

Prior to this match, Varvara Gracheva had been on a six-match winning streak against players ranked outside the top 100, following a series of losses to such opponents from the US Open to Beijing.

FAQ

• Who did Lilli Tagger defeat? She defeated Varvara Gracheva.
• What is Lilli Tagger’s current WTA ranking? She is ranked No. 119.
• Who will Lilli Tagger play next? She will play Maria Sakkari.