India No 1 Ankita Raina lost in the women’s singles second round of the $60,000 ITF event in Shenzhen, China, on Wednesday. After defeating China’s Shuo Feng in three sets a day earlier, Raina went down 6-7 (2), 2-6 against Japan’s Hiroko Kuwata in the round of 16.
The 26-year-old, though, tasted success in doubles with her partner French partner Amandine Hesse. The duo defeated Jana Cepelova and Alexandra Cadantu 6-3, 6-2 in the first round on Wednesday. They will now face Lu Jingjing and Choi Ji-hee for a place in the semi-final on Thursday.
Sasi Kumar Mukund lost to the experienced Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis 4-6, 5-7 in the men’s singles second round at the ATP Challenger event in Shenzhen on Wednesday. The Indian had defeated China’s He Yecong in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 a day earlier.
Vishnu Vardhan, competing at the ATP Challenger event in Shenzhen, partnered with Luca Margaroli and defeated Baptiste Crepatte and Karim-Mohamed Maamoun in the men’s doubles first round on Wednesday. The Indo-Swiss pair will now face Zhe Li and Goncalo Oliveira in the quarter-final on Thursday.
Other results
Here’s how Indians fared on the ATP Challenger and International Tennis Federation tours across countries:
- Sidharth Rawat defeated Germany’s Dominik Boehler 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4 in the second round at the $15,000 ITF Qatar event on Wednesday.
- Rawat also teamed up with compatriot Abhinav Sanjeev Shanmugam to defeat Guy Den Heijer and Sidane Pontjodikromo 6-2, 1-6, 10-7 in the men’s doubles first round. The Indian pair will now face Michiel De Krom and Jesper De Jong in the quarter-final on Thursday.
- Vijay Sundar Prasanth teamed up with Russia’s Alexander Igoshin and defeated Ricardo Rodríguez and Mousa Shanan Zayed in the men’s doubles first round at the $15,000 ITF Qatar event on Wednesday. The duo will now play the Czech pair of Tomas Machac and Michal Konecny in the quarter-final on Thursday.
- Aryan Goveas lost 1-6, 7-5, 6-7 (0) in the men’s singles first round of the $15,000 ITF Egypt event against Italy’s Francesco Forti on Wednesday. The Indian, however, is alive in the men’s doubles section and will team up with Germany’s Robert Strombachs to play the Czech pair of Petr Hajek and Jaroslav Pospisil in the quarter-final on Thursday.
- India’s Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha and Manish Sureshkumar lost 4-6, 7-5, 9-11 against the Dutch pair of Jesper De Jong and Michiel De Krom in the men’s doubles first round at the $15,000 ITF Qatar event on Thursday.
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