Wild card Rutuja Bhosale caused a major upset in the USD 25,000 NECC ITF Women's Tennis tournament here today by knocking out India number one and third seed Ankita Raina in the singles first round.
America-returned local girl Rutuja got the better of Ankita, born in Ahmedabad but now based here, 6-3 6-7 (6) 6-2 in 2 hours and 27 minutes in the round of 32 clash to earn a shot at qualifier Kaja Juvan of Slovenia.
It was Rutujas first-ever victory over the 24-year-old Ankita in four meetings on the circuit.
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Two other Indians bit the dust in the first round on day two of the main draw.
Qualifier Dhruti Venugopal fought well in the opening set against no. 8 seed Mai Minokoshi of Japan before losing in straight sets while Pranjala Yadlapalli, a wild card, was knocked out by Ukraines Valeria Strakhova.
The story of the day belonged to Rutuja who was not expected to topple Ankita who had recently reached the quarter finals of the USD 450,000 WTA event in Mumbai.
In a battle of two Indians, 21-year-old Rutuja fought off a second set comeback by former 2014 champion Ankita to win 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2.
The encounter turned out to be the longest of the tournament so far and lasted 2 hours and 27 minutes, which incidentally is only the third encounter in this edition to stretch past the two-hour mark.
Rutuja thus became the second Indian to make it to the last 16 round after no. 7 Karman Kaur Thandi who reached the pre quarters yesterday.
Rutuja, ranked 571, got off to a shaky start by losing serve in the first set early. Down 0-2, she hit back to break the 24-year-old Ankita, but failed to hold in the next to remain 1-3 in arrears. However breaks in the next three games were enough to close the first set in her favour.
Ankita, 296 places above Rutuja in the rankings, was quickly down 0-3 in the second set before holding her serve in the 4th game (1-3). Ankita broke Rutuja to reduce the lead to 2-3. However, in the next she lost serve (2-4) and made up with a break in the 7th for a 3-4 score-line. She then saved a match-point in the tenth game.
Thereafter both held serves to push the game into the tie-breaker, wherein Ankita saved 3 more match-points to finally win and force the deciding third set.
In the third set, Rutuja could have completed her win early had she converted a break-point that she earned in the 7th game. But finally she prevailed.
"Winning against Ankita (Raina) gives me confidence, she is India No. 1. There was no pressure of playing her (Ankita). She was in form and had a good run in the WTA Mumbai last week and thus I had to give my best to beat her," Rutuja said after her victory.
Results: Singles (1st round): Gabriella Taylor (GBR) b Q-Ana Veselinovic (MNE) 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2; 1-Jia-Jing Lu (Chn) b Q-Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov (ESP) 6-2, 7-5; Fatma Al Nabhani (OMA) b 6-Diana Marcinkevica (LAT) 6-4, 7-5; Valeriya Strakhova (UKR) b WC-Pranjala Yadlapalli (Ind) 6-4, 6-3; WC-Rutuja Bhosale (Ind) b 3-Ankita Raina (Ind) 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2; 8-Mai Minokoshi (Jpn) b Dhruthi Tatachar Venugopal (Ind) 7-6(4), 6-4; Georgina Garcia-Perez (Esp) b Dea Herdzelas (BIH) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1; Olga Doroshina (Rus) b Q-Elena Bogdan (Rou) 6-4, 6-2; Amina Anshba (Rus) b Anna Morgina (Rus) 6-3, 6-1
Doubles (Pre quarter finals): 1-Georgina Garcia Perez (ESP)/ Valeriya Strakhova (UKR) b Erin Routliffe (CAN)/ Karman Kaur Thandi (Ind) 7-5, 6-2; Albina Khabibulina/ Anastasiya Vasylyeva (UKR) b WC-Snehal Mane (Ind)/ Ho Ching Wu (Chn) 6-1, 6-2; 3-Samantha Murray (GBR)/ Ana Veselinovic (MNE) b WC-Riya Bhatia (IND)/ Britt Geukens (Bel) 8-2, 6-3.
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