Tennis

Ankita Raina, India's top-ranked women's tennis player, made a strong start to the $60,000 ITF tournament in Perth, Australia, on Tuesday. Raina eased past Miho Kuramochi of Japan 6-0, 6-4 in the first round, showcasing her dominance on the court.Raina's victory was a testament to her consistent performance and aggressive style of play. She controlled the match from the outset, breaking Kuramochi's serve twice in the first set to take it 6-0. In the second set, Raina faced a tougher challenge as Kuramochi fought back, but the Indian player remained composed and secured the victory with a 6-4 scoreline.Raina's victory is a positive sign for Indian tennis, as she continues to make strides on the international circuit. She has been in impressive form this year, reaching the semifinals of the $25,000 ITF tournament in Nonthaburi, Thailand, in July.In other results from the tournament, Ashmitha Easwaramurthi and Kanna Soeda of Japan lost in the doubles pre-quarterfinals, while Marin Dumitru and Derin Sen of Australia advanced to the pre-quarterfinals in the men's doubles.

Fifth-seeded Indian tennis star Ankita Raina displayed resilience and determination in her pre-quarterfinal match at the $40,000 ITF women's tennis tournament in Ourense, Spain. Facing Maria Vaquero of Spain, Raina fought back from a set down to secure a hard-fought 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 victory.Raina started the match with a dominant performance, taking the first set with ease at 6-1. However, Vaquero responded strongly in the second set, leveling the match with a 6-3 win. Undeterred, Raina regained her composure in the decisive third set. She broke Vaquero's serve twice and held her own service games comfortably to seal the victory.With this win, Raina advances to the quarterfinals, where she will face top seed Valentina Ryser of Switzerland. Ryser, ranked 150th in the world, will pose a significant challenge for Raina. However, the Indian star has shown great form throughout the tournament and will be confident of putting up a strong fight.In other matches involving Indian players, Sriram Balaji and Fernando Romboli of Brazil received a walkover in the pre-quarterfinals of the $164,000 Challenger in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Meanwhile, Anirudh Chandrasekar and Niki Poonacha bowed out of the $133,250 Challenger in Cary, USA, losing 4-6, 7-6(9), [10-8] to Federico Gomez of Argentina and Petros Tsitsipas of Greece.Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Vijay Sundar Prashanth advanced to the quarterfinals of the $74,825 Challenger in Grodzisk Mazowiecki, Poland, with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Benjamin Bonzi and Harold Mayot of France.In the $25,000 ITF men's tournament in Muttenz, Switzerland, Sddhant Bantha and Eric Vanshelboim of Ukraine defeated Nicolas Kuepfer of Switzerland and Patrick Zahraj of Germany 7-6(5), 6-2. Alexander Merino of Peru and Christoph Negritu of Germany also progressed to the quarterfinals with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Axel Cabrera of Mexico and Chinmaya Dev Chauhan.In the $15,000 ITF men's tournament in Bielsko Biala, Poland, Aryan Lakshmanan and Przemyslaw Michocki of Poland reached the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Jakub Jedrzejczak and Pawel Juszczak of Poland.In the $15,000 ITF women's tournament in Xiamen, China, Riya Bhatia and Michika Ozeki of Japan advanced to the quarterfinals with a 2-6, 6-2, [10-8] win over Ren Ke and Zou Ruirui of China.

The Wimbledon Championships, the oldest and most prestigious Grand Slam tournament in tennis, recently concluded its 137th edition at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC). The tournament witnessed thrilling matches and memorable moments, with Barbora Krejcikova and Carlos Alcaraz emerging as the women's and men's singles champions, respectively.AELTC, in its efforts to popularize tennis in India, partnered with Star Sports to broadcast the matches with Hindi commentary. This initiative aims to make the tournament more accessible to Indian fans and inspire a new generation of players.Indian tennis star Ankita Raina, who has played at Wimbledon in the past, spoke about the significance of this initiative. She believes that it will have a positive impact on the sport in India, as it will introduce the tournament to a wider audience and showcase the achievements of Indian players.Raina also highlighted the importance of individual performances by Indian players, such as Rohan Bopanna and Sumit Nagal, in inspiring fellow players. She believes that their success at the highest level has motivated other Indian players to pursue their tennis dreams.The Wimbledon Championships holds a special place in the hearts of tennis fans worldwide. Its rich history, tradition, and unique rules, such as the requirement to wear all white, make it an iconic event. For Indian fans, the Hindi commentary will enhance their understanding and appreciation of the tournament.Raina's own experience at Wimbledon has been unforgettable. She cherishes the opportunity to play on the hallowed courts and compete against the world's best players. She believes that the tournament is a dream come true for any tennis player.The Wimbledon Championships offer fans an unforgettable sporting experience. The tournament showcases the highest level of tennis, featuring some of the world's most talented players. With the addition of Hindi commentary, Indian fans will now have a more immersive and engaging experience, further fueling their passion for the sport.

Second seed Ankita Raina's campaign in the $40,000 ITF women's tennis tournament in Lopota, Georgia, came to an end in the first round. The Indian star fell to Daria Kudashova of Russia in a hard-fought three-set battle, losing 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(5).Raina started the match strongly, taking the first set 6-4. However, Kudashova fought back in the second set, winning it 6-4. The third set was a nail-biter, with both players trading blows. In the end, it was Kudashova who prevailed in the tiebreaker, winning 7-6(5).Despite the loss, Raina showed her fighting spirit and determination throughout the match. She also made it to the doubles quarterfinals, partnering with Snehal Mane. The Indian duo defeated Christine Gouws of South Africa and Georgia Kalamaris of France 6-1, 6-1.In other results from the tournament, Kai Wehnelt of Germany defeated Manas Dhamne of India 7-5, 6-2 in the first round of the $25,000 ITF men's event in Margherita di Pula, Italy. In the $15,000 ITF men's tournament in Monastir, Tunisia, the doubles pair of Samir Reguig and Mohamed Makhlouf of Algeria defeated Abraham Asaba of Ghana and Karan Singh of India 6-7(2), 7-6(4), [10-7] in the pre-quarterfinals.In the $15,000 ITF women's tournament in Kursumlijska Banja, Serbia, the doubles team of Michaela Bayerlova of the Czech Republic and Wakana Sonnobe of Japan defeated Kiara Cvetkovic of Switzerland and Annika Kannan of India 6-1, 6-0 in the pre-quarterfinals. In the $15,000 ITF women's tournament in Antalya, Turkey, the doubles pair of Sofya Gapankova and Varvara Pansshina defeated Florencia Moron of Argentina and Bela Tamhankar of India 6-1, 6-1 in the pre-quarterfinals.In the $15,000 ITF women's tournament in Monastir, Tunisia, Vaishnavi Adkar defeated Liu Le Yi of China 7-6(3), 6-1 in the first round, while Zeel Desai defeated Merna Refaat of Egypt 6-1, 5-7, 6-1.

Ankita Raina and Ramkumar Ramanathan emerged victorious in the 42nd PSPB inter-unit tennis tournament held at the DLTA Complex. The tournament featured a packed schedule of team championships, singles, and doubles events over four days.In the men's singles final, Ramkumar Ramanathan of Indian Oil defeated his teammate Chirag Duhan 9-5. Ramkumar had previously overcome Vishnu Vardhan and Rithvik Bollipalli en route to the final.Ankita Raina of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) claimed the women's singles title with a 9-5 victory over Riya Bhatia of Indian Oil. Notably, Ankita had previously defeated Riya in straight sets during the team championship.The men's doubles title went to Vishnu Vardhan and Rithvik, who defeated Ramkumar and Chirag in the final.In the veterans category, Rajkumar Dubey of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) won the singles title and teamed up with Monish Sharma to clinch the doubles title. BPCL had also emerged victorious in the team championship.Riya Sachdeva was recognized as the "most promising player" of the tournament.The trophies were presented by Vartika Shukla, Chairman and Managing Director of the host, Engineers India Limited (EIL).