India No 1 Ankita Raina notched a commanding win over Sabine Lisicki, former Wimbledon finalist, at the ITF Surbiton Trophy in London on Monday.
Raina, seeded fifth, beat Lisicki 6-3, 6-1 in the qualifiers of the grass court tournament, which is a $100,000 tournament in Great Britain.
Read - From Wimbledon to Mumbai Open, Sabine Lisicki’s struggles show the reality of injury comebacks
The Indian was strong on grass, winning 82% of her first serves while her opponent served five double faults and won just 65%. She also broke her opponent four times while holding her serve throughout.
It was Raina’s second match of the day after beating Myrtille Georges 7-6(6), 6-1 in the first round of qualification earlier.
Lisicki is a former world No 12 and Wimbledon runner-up but has fallen down the ranks with repeated injuries. She is currently ranked 297th in singles.
Buy an annual Scroll Membership to support independent journalism and get special benefits.
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!