L&T Mumbai Open WTA125K Series: Ankita Raina, Veronika Kudermetova to face-off today
Mumbai: India’s top ranked women’s singles player Ankita Raina will have a relatively even tussle on the basis on rankings with unseeded Russian Veronika Kudermetova in the first round of the L&T Mumbai Open WTA125K Series at the Cricket Club of India tennis courts from Monday. The draw ceremony was held on Sunday afternoon. Ankita is one of the four Indians to be given a wild card into the main draw.
Second best ranked in India Karmran Kaur Thandi, Maharshtra No 1 Rutuja Bhosale and young 18-year-old Zeel Desai are the other women’s tennis players from India to get wild cards. Karman, Rutuja and Zeel have got relatively tough draws. Top seed 19-year-old Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus who is ranked 79 will take on unseeded and 231 ranked Priscilla Hon of Australia. Second seed 24-year-old Ana Bogdan, ranked 111 and who came through the qualifying rounds, will play her first round against Mexico’s 22-year-old Victoria Rodriguez, who is placed 151 places lower.
Indian pairs of Ankita and Rutuja, Riya Bhatia and Natasha Palha, Karman and Pranjala Yadlapalli will be in action in the tournament. Oylmpian Prarthana Thombare is partnering Japanese Hiroko Kuwata. Ankita who hails from Ahmedabad was confident about taking on Veronika in first round. “I have played Veronika sometime last year in doubles. I think it will be a good first round. I am happy and very excited that such a big event is being conducted in India. I am confident of doing well,” Ankita said.
Results: Ana Bogdan (ROU) bt Naiktha Bains (AUS) 6-0, 6-1; Deniz Khazaniuk bt Ling Zhang (HKG) 7-5, 6-4; Alizé Lim (FRA) bt Julia Glushko 6-0, 6-3; Hiroko Kuwata bt Anna Morgina (RUS) 7-5, 6-4.
