Ankita Raina, India’s top-ranked women’s singles player, started her singles campaign at the WTA 125K event in Anning, China with a win over Qianhui Tang of China in the first round. It was a comprehensive win, where she lost only three games in the 6-2, 6-1 rout. However, her path only gets tougher with second seed Wang Yafan up next.
A day earlier, she had gone down in the doubles at the same event. She and her partner Guo Shanshan was beaten by top seeds Dalila Jakupovic of Slovenia and Irina Khomacheva 6-3, 6-3.
Rutuja Bhosale started her campaign at the ITF event in Georgia with a win as well. The Indian beat Zoziya Kardava 6-4, 6-1. She will play third seed Ekaterine Gorgodze next.
At the Ostrava Challenger, Sumit Nagal, seeded eighth, played a tough match going down to Tomislav Brkić 4-6, 6-3, 1-6.
Arjun Kadhe beat Diego Matos of Brazil 6-0, 7-6(4) in a topsy-turvy match in the first round at the $25,000 ITF tournament in Abuja, Nigeria. The other Indians in the draw are Anurag Nenwani, Suraj Prabodh and Dalwinder Singh.
Sowjanya Bavisetti stunned second seed and local Thai player Patcharin Cheapchandej 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of ITF $15K Hua Hin Futures.