Storm Hunter Shocks Tennis World with Triumphant Return After Devastating Achilles Rupture

Storm Hunter continues her late-season surge at the WTA Chennai Open 2025, powering past Japan’s Mai Hontama in the first round before setting up a highly-anticipated Round-of-16 clash with fellow Aussie veteran Arina Rodionova. The Australian left-hander—ranked No. 48 in singles and riding the momentum of last month’s surprise doubles crown in Wuhan alongside Katerina Siniaková—looks increasingly comfortable on hard courts after an injury-marred first half of the season. Return to Form After Injury • Hunter missed nearly three months with a right-shoulder tear but has posted an 11-3 match record since returning in September. • The Wuhan trophy was her first WTA title since 2023 and vaulted her back inside the top 30 of the doubles rankings. Chennai Open 2025: What’s at Stake • A quarter-final run would guarantee Hunter a new career-high singles ranking, moving her toward the Australian Open seeding cutoff. • Chennai offers 280 ranking points and a fast acrylic surface that rewards Hunter’s lefty serve-plus-forehand pattern. Key Match-Up vs. Rodionova Analytics site StatsInsider gives Hunter a 56 % win probability against World No. 92 Rodionova, citing her higher first-serve-points-won percentage and superior break-point conversion rate this season. • Head-to-Head: 1-1. Rodionova won their lone hard-court meeting in 2021; Hunter claimed a straight-sets grass victory in Birmingham 2023. • Tactics: Expect Hunter to target the Rodionova backhand with heavy topspin and finish points at net, a strategy that yielded 23 winners in her opening-round win. How to Watch The Round-of-16 match is scheduled for Thursday, 31 October, not before 18:00 local time (20:30 AEDT), and will stream live on WTA TV and the host broadcaster’s digital platforms. Road Ahead If she advances, Hunter could face Taiwan’s Joanna Garland or No. 2 seed Donna Vekić in the quarter-finals, with a potential semi-final against rising Turkish star Zeynep Sönmez looming. Why It Matters A deep Chennai run would cap a remarkable comeback season for Storm Hunter, enhance Australia’s hopes ahead of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, and confirm her status as one of the tour’s most dangerous late-season threats.