In a disappointing turn of events for India at the , the women’s doubles tennis team was eliminated in the first round.
The duo of Ankita Raina and Rutuja Bhosale faced Kazakhstan’s Anna Danilina and Yulia Putintseva in a tightly contested match held in Nagoya on Monday. The final score was 5-7, 6-3, 5-10.
The Indian pair started strong, winning the first set 7-5. However, Danilina and Putintseva made a remarkable comeback, taking the second set 6-3 and leveling the match. In the decisive tiebreaker, the Kazakh team maintained their composure, ultimately winning 10-5.
Despite the early exit in women’s doubles, Raina and Bhosale still have a chance to continue their campaign in the mixed doubles event. Both players are set to compete again, providing them with another opportunity to advance in the tournament.
Putintseva’s extensive experience on the international circuit proved crucial during the match. Regularly competing on the WTA Tour, she is ranked among the top 100 in singles. This experience became evident when the match reached its critical stages. After losing the first set, the Kazakh duo regained control.
Initially, the Indian team established a strong position by winning the first set. However, they could not convert this lead into victory, dropping the second set 3-6, which led to the tiebreaker where Danilina and Putintseva secured the win by a five-point margin.
In men’s singles, Sumit Nagal’s match was interrupted before the first set could conclude. He was leading 3-2 against South Korea’s Hong Seong-chan when rain halted play. This match has been rescheduled for Tuesday, giving Nagal another chance to complete his first-round encounter. Following a challenging performance in the recent Davis Cup against South Korean players, where he lost both singles matches, Nagal is eager to return to the court. The schedule for his match against Hong Kong in the remains uncertain.
With the women’s doubles campaign over, India’s focus now shifts to the mixed doubles events and Nagal’s rescheduled singles match as the team aims to maintain its presence in the competition.