ITF Women’s Open: Ankita Raina wins doubles crown, loses in singles semifinals

GURUGRAM: India's Ankita Raina had mixed fortunes as she won the Women's Doubles title while losing in the Singles semifinals of the ITF Women’s Open, Gurugram W35 here on Saturday. On a rain-marred day, the top two seeds crashed out of the singles draw.

In the singles semifinals played at The Tennis Project on Saturday, top seed Dalila Jakupovic of Slovenia was undone by third seed Justina Mikulskyte of Lithuania in a tough three-setter 4-6, 2-6, 7-6(0) while India’s best bet and second seed Ankita Raina succumbed to the unseeded Korean Yeonwoo Ku 6-7(4), 3-6.

Later, Ankita joined hands with Zhibek Kulambayeva to lift the women’s doubles title. The Indo-Kazakh pair brushed aside the challenge of Jacqueline Cabaj Awad of Sweden and Justina Mikulskyte in straight sets 6-4, 6-2. The winners bagged US $1437 and 35 WTA points for their effort while the runners-up were richer by US $ 719 and 23 WTA points.

In the singles semifinals, Ankita found herself on the wrong foot in the opening game itself where she lost her serve. The 31-year-old warmed up only by the third game as she erased a 0-2 deficit and led 3-2 with a break in the fourth game. However, she lost her serve once again in the 7th game which facilitated a tie-breaker. Relying heavily on her double-handed backhand, Ankita found herself a bit short losing 4-7.

Things replicated in the second set for the first five games, where Ankita once again after trailing 0-2, was leading 3-2 with a break in the third and the fifth game. However, the 20-year-old Yeonwoo moved better on the court and with deft placing of the ball troubled her fancied opponent often which made Ankita commit a lot of unforced errors.

Yeonwoo who would be vying for her third ITF Title on Sunday, won four games in a row with two breaks in the 6th and 8th games to wrap up the set and the match.