Ankita Raina and Zeel Desai Shine in ITF W35 Kalaburagi

Exciting Matches at ITF W35 Kalaburagi

Kalaburagi (Karnataka) [India] March 4: Indian tennis players Ankita Raina and Zeel Desai made impressive strides into the second round of the ITF W35 tournament held in Kalaburagi on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Karnataka's Soha Sadiq showed promise but ultimately exited the competition after a dramatic shift in momentum at the Chandrashekhar Patil Stadium.

Seeded eighth, Ankita Raina showcased her skills by defeating fellow Indian Sonal Patil with a score of 6-1, 6-3. Although Patil started strong by holding her serve in the first game, Raina quickly took charge, winning six consecutive games to clinch the first set decisively.

The second set mirrored the first, with Raina jumping to a 3-0 lead. Patil fought back, managing to hold her serve twice, but Raina maintained her composure, eventually sealing the match at 6-3 to secure her spot in the next round.

Fifth seed Zeel Desai also advanced, delivering a solid performance against Jennifer Luikham. Desai won the first set 6-2, displaying consistent baseline play, and continued to dominate the rallies in the second set, mixing powerful groundstrokes with clever drop shots to finish the match 6-4.

Earlier, Soha Sadiq thrilled the local audience with a strong start against Singapore's Eva Marie Desvignes, racing to a 4-0 lead in the first set. However, Desvignes made a remarkable comeback, ultimately winning 7-5, 6-0, thus ending Sadiq's run despite her promising start.

Another Indian player, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, faced disappointment as she had to retire from her match against Elena Burdina due to a medical issue.

Top seed Jasmijn Gimbrere advanced smoothly with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Aishwarya Jadhav, while sixth seed Thasaporn Naklo also progressed with a 6-3, 6-2 win against Valeria Savinykh. Other notable results included Polina Kuharenko defeating Akanksha Dileep Nitture 6-2, 6-1, and Anna Sedyasheva overcoming Sandeepthi Singh Rao 6-2, 6-4.

In the doubles competition, India's Sravya Shivani Chilakalapudi teamed up with Japan's Michika Ozeki to secure a convincing 6-2, 6-3 victory over Maayan Laron and Maria Mikhailova, advancing to the quarterfinals. Third seeds Zeel Desai and Elina Nepliy also moved forward with a solid 6-3, 6-4 win against Anna Sedyasheva and Sofia Suslova.

With two more Indian players joining Vaishnavi Adkar in the second round, the competition at the ITF W35 Kalaburagi is heating up.

Results:

Singles First Round:

8-Ankita Raina (IND) bt Sonal Patil (IND) 6-1, 6-3; 5-Zeel Desai (IND) bt Jennifer Luikham (IND) 6-2, 6-4; 1-Jasmijn Gimbrere (NED) bt Aishwarya Jadhav (IND) 6-2, 6-1; 6-Thasaporn Naklo (THA) bt Valeria Savinykh 6-3, 6-2; Polina Kuharenko bt Akanksha Dileep Nitture (IND) 6-2, 6-1; Anna Sedyasheva bt Sandeepthi Singh Rao (IND) 6-2, 6-4; Eva Marie Desvignes (SGP) bt Soha Sadiq (IND) 7-5, 6-0; Elina Nepliy bt Kashish Bhatia (IND) 6-0, 6-4; Evgeniya Burdina bt 4-Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty (IND) 5-1 (ret.)

Doubles First Round:

Sravya Shivani Chilakalapudi (IND) / Michika Ozeki (JPN) bt Maayan Laron (ISR) / Maria Mikhailova 6-2, 6-3; 3-Zeel Desai (IND) / Elina Nepliy bt Anna Sedyasheva / Sofia Suslova 6-3, 6-4.