[ad_1]
IMAGE: Ankita Raina, the highest Indian singles participant, cruised to a straight units win over Hong Kong’s Adithya P Karunaratne within the third spherical of the ladies’s singles on the Asian Video games on Tuesday. {Photograph}: SAI Media/X
Counter-puncher Sumit Nagal blunted the problem of big-serving Beibit Zhukayev along with his perseverance whereas Ankita Raina outgunned Adithya P Karunaratne with out fuss as the 2 Indians inched nearer to singles medals by reaching the quarterfinals on the Asian Video games in Hangzhou on Tuesday.
Kazakhstan’s Zhukayev served huge however Nagal managed the factors higher for a 7-6 (9) 6-4 in a riveting males’s singles third spherical whereas Raina cruised to a 6-1 6-2 win over her Hong Kong’s opponent within the third spherical of the ladies’s singles occasion.
The semifinalists are assured of bronze medals within the tennis occasion on the Video games.
Nevertheless, the singles problem of Ramkumar Ramanathan and Rutuja Bhosale got here to a halt on the Asian Video games.
Nagal’s motion on the court docket and the immense retrieving potential was a delight to look at as a number of instances Zhukayev went for drop photographs however Nagal reached the ball to fireplace winners.
Zhukayev was sending down highly effective serves and his floor strokes too packed a variety of energy however Nagal is just not somebody who would really feel threatened fairly he stored the ball in play since he at all times had a bonus if the factors had been lengthy.
After saving two set factors, Nagal pocketed the opening set by sending down a widish backhand which Zhukayev didn’t return, making a volley error whereas going for a winner.
A break within the fourth sport of the second set handed Nagal an early benefit as he led 4-1. Within the long-drawn seventh sport, Nagal saved two breakpoints however the Kazakh lastly received the break with a forehand winner down the road.
The 26-year-old shut the door on the Kazakh with one other break in sport 10 when Zhukayev buried a backhand on web on the second match level.
Raina, the highest Indian lady singles participant at 198, transformed all three breakpoints she received within the one hour 34-minute contest and saved two of the three breakpoints she confronted in opposition to her 354th-ranked rival.
She’s going to now struggle it out with Japan’s Haruka Kaji (ranked 213) for a spot within the semifinals.
Ranked 336, Bhosale was up in opposition to higher-ranked Alexandra Eala (190) from Philippines and went down combating 6-7 (5) 2-6 in a single hour and 51 minutes.
Within the males’s singles, Ramkumar took the court docket in opposition to world quantity 78 Yosuke Watanuki and it was at all times going to be a troublesome contest for the Indian, who has been terribly out of shape this season.
To his credit score, Ramkumar stretched his superior Japanese rival, who needed to battle onerous for his 7-5 6-7 (3) 7-5 win in two hours and 40 minute match.
Each Ramkumar and Bhosale are nonetheless alive within the doubles competitions.
Within the combined doubles, the top-seeded Indian pair of Yuki Bhambri and Ankita Raina reached the pre-quarterfinals with a 6-0 6-0 thrashing of Pakistan’s Aqeel Khan and Sarah Khan.
Nevertheless, Bhosale and her accomplice Karman Kaur Thandi bowed out of the ladies’s doubles after a 5-7, 2-6 defeat in opposition to Thailand’s Anchisa Chanta and Punnin Kovatitukted in 1 hour and 59 minutes.
[ad_2]
Source link
