New Delhi: India’s top woman tennis player, Ankita Raina secured a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 victory over Fatna al-Nabhani (Oman) on Tuesday to join qualifier Rishika Sunkara and wild card entrant Prerna Bhambri as a survivor after the first round in the QNET Open $50,000 ITF Women's Circuit tournament at the DLTA Complex here.
The 21-year-old from Ahmedabad dominated from the start and gave Fatma Al Nabhani no chance of even putting up a fight. “Her backhand is weaker and she couldn't rally for long. She tried to attack during the game but she is not very consistent,” Ankita Raina said. The Indian will meet third-seeded Russian Marina Melnikova in the second round.
Former world Junior No.1 Ivana Jorovic (Serbia) stunned fourth-seeded Tadeja Majeric (Slovenia) 7-5, 6-0. Majeric lost her cool at the end of the first set and showed little will to battle it out against the 17-year-old Serbian after a high-strung first set. Austria’s Barbara Haas turned her first round match on its head by rally from being blanked in the opening set to defeat eighth seeded Sofiya Kovalets (Ukraine).
Greek teenager Maria Sakkari posted a one-sided 6-1, 6-3 victory over Natasha Palha. Sakkari’s four $10,000 ITF singles titles this year, have seen her leapfrog from 610 to 298 on the WTA Singles rankings. She also has won four doubles crowns on the ITF Circuit this year.
The other three Indians –Prarthana G Thombare, wild card entrant Bhuvana Kalva and lucky loser Vaniya Dangwal – who figured in the matches on Tuesday bowed out after straight-set defeats.
Tuesday’s results (all Indians unless specified):
(1) Patricia Mayr-Achleitner (Austria) beat Emily Webley-Smith (Britain) 6-2, 6-3; Barbara Haas (Austria) beat (8) Sofiya Kovalets (Ukraine) 0-6, 7-6 (6), 7-5. (3) Marina Melinkova (Russia) beat q Wang Xi-Yao (China) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3; Ankita Raina beat Fatna al-Nabhani (Oman) 6-2, 6-2; Maria Sakkari (Greece) beat wc Natasha Palha 6-1, 6-3. (7) Elise Mertens (Belgium) beat q Kamonwam Buayam (Thailand) 6-0, 6-1; Nicha Lertpitaksinchai (Thailand) beat ll Vaniya Dangwal 6-1, 6-1; Tara Moore (Britain) beat Hsu Ching Wen (Chinese Taipei) 6-3, 6-3; Ivana Jorovic (Serbia) beat (4) Tadeja Majeric (Slovenia) 7-5, 6-0. (6) Sabina Sharipova (Uzbekistan) beat Prarthana G Thombare 6-2, 6-1; (2) Anastasiya Vasylyeva (Ukraine) beat wc Bhuvana Kalva 6-3, 7-6 (5).
Second round pairings: (1) Patricia Mayr-Achleitner (Austria) vs Margarita Lazareva (Russia); Harmony Tan (France) vs Barbara Haas (Austria); (3) Marina Melinkova (Russia) vs Ankita Raina; Maria Sakkari (Greece) vs (7) Elise Mertens (Belgium); Nicha Lertpitaksinchai (Thailand) vs q Rishika Sunkara; Tara Moore (Britain) vs Ivana Jorovic (Serbia) (6) Sabina Sharipova (Uzbekistan) vs Li Jia-Jiang; wc Prerna Bhambri vs (2) Anastasiya Vasylyeva (Ukraine).