Asian Games: Ankita Raina, Rutuja Bhosale progress to pre-quarterfinals

Hangzhou, September 25

India’s top singles tennis player Ankita Raina was off to a flying start, while Rutuja Bhosale struggled past lower-ranked Aruzhan Sagandikova to move into the women’s singles pre-quarterfinals at the Asian Games here on Monday.

Raina did not lose a single game in her second-round match and required just 51 minutes to send packing 17-year-old Sabrina Olimjonova from Uzbekistan 6-0, 6-0.

Ranked 198th in singles and winner of a bronze medal from the 2018 edition, third seed Raina will now clash with Adithya P Karunaratne from Hong Kong for a place in the last-eight stage.

Sagandikova is ranked as low as 746 but it was far from an easy match for the Bhosale, who needed two hours and one minute to go past her rival from Kazakhstan7-6(2), 6-2.

The first set itself lasted one hour and 16 minutes as Bhosal, ranked 336th, had to work hard for the win.

The 13th seed Indian’s next opponent is fourth seed left-hander Alex Eala from the Philippines.

In the men’s singles, Ramkumar Ramanathan did not have to move a sinew to move to the next round. His rival from Tajikistan Sunatullo Isroilov did not turn up for the contest, giving a walkover to the Indian.

Ramkumar then combined with his second-seed partner Saketh Myneni to move to the men’s doubles quarterfinals, beating the Indonesia pair of Ignatius Anthony Susanto and David Agung Susanto 6-3, 6-2 in 68 minutes.