Vaishnavi Adkar and Ankita Raina Shine at ITF W35 Kalaburagi

Vaishnavi Adkar and Ankita Raina have made a significant impact at the ITF W35 Kalaburagi, advancing to the semifinals in both singles and doubles events. Adkar's commanding victory over Elina Nepliy and Raina's dominant performance against Evgeniya Burdina highlight their skills. The duo also triumphed in the doubles semifinals, setting up an exciting all-Indian final. Read on to discover more about their journey and match highlights.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 6, 2026, 20:31 IST

Adkar and Raina Advance to Semifinals

In a remarkable display at the ITF W35 Kalaburagi, third seed Vaishnavi Adkar and eighth seed Ankita Raina showcased their skills by reaching the semifinals in both singles and doubles competitions on Friday. Adkar delivered a strong performance, defeating Elina Nepliy with a score of 6-1, 6-3, while Raina followed suit, overpowering Evgeniya Burdina 6-0, 6-2. The duo later teamed up in the doubles semifinals, overcoming Sonal Patil and Bela Tamhankar to secure their spot in the finals. Akanksha Dileep Nitture and Soha Sadiq from Karnataka also advanced as the second doubles finalists.

Adkar's Impressive Quarterfinal Victory

Vaishnavi Adkar set the pace early in her quarterfinal match, breaking Elina Nepliy in the second game and quickly establishing a 3-0 lead. Despite Nepliy's attempts to disrupt Adkar's rhythm with well-placed drop shots, Adkar maintained her composure, extending her lead to 4-0. Nepliy managed to hold serve once, but Adkar closed the first set decisively at 6-1.

The second set mirrored the first, with Adkar breaking Nepliy's serve early on. Although Nepliy fought back to reduce the score to 4-2, Adkar responded with powerful backhand winners, breaking again to lead 5-2. Nepliy managed another break, but Adkar elevated her game to secure the match 6-3.

Raina's Dominance Over Burdina

Ankita Raina began her quarterfinal against Evgeniya Burdina with a strong start, breaking serve in the first game and consolidating her lead. Burdina struggled with consistency, allowing Raina to build a commanding 5-0 lead before taking a medical timeout. Upon her return, Burdina could not regain momentum, and Raina took the first set 6-0.

The second set saw both players exchanging breaks, but Raina capitalized on Burdina's inaccuracies. After breaking serve again, Raina held strong to lead 4-2 and eventually closed out the match 6-2.

Doubles Semifinals Highlights

In the doubles semifinals, the pairing of Vaishnavi Adkar and Ankita Raina faced Sonal Patil and Bela Tamhankar, winning a tightly contested match 7-6(5), 6-2. The duo held their composure in a challenging first set before dominating the second. Meanwhile, Akanksha Dileep Nitture and Soha Sadiq made a comeback to defeat Sravya Shivani Chilakalapudi and Japan's Michika Ozeki 6-7(7), 6-0, [10-5], setting the stage for an all-Indian final.

Match Results

Singles Quarterfinals:
Vaishnavi Adkar (IND) defeated Elina Nepliy 6-1, 6-3; Ankita Raina (IND) defeated Evgeniya Burdina 6-0, 6-2; Thasaporn Naklo (THA) defeated Anchisa Chanta (THA) 6-4, 6-1; Jasmijn Gimbrere (NED) defeated Maayan Laron (ISR) 6-2, 6-2.
Doubles Semifinals:
Adkar (IND) / Raina (IND) defeated Patil (IND) / Tamhankar (IND) 7-6(5), 6-2; Nitture (IND) / Sadiq (IND) defeated Chilakalapudi (IND) / Ozeki (JPN) 6-7(7), 6-0, [10-5].