Jurmala: India’s leading singles tennis player Ankita Raina and young Karman Kaur Thandi lost their opening matches in the Billie Jean King Cup play-off match against Latvian Jelena Ostapenko and Anastasija Sevastova respectively to start their campaign on a disappointing note.
While Ostapenko worked hard for her 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 victory over Raina in a match where the home favorite made many unforced errors, the Latvian no. 1 Sevastova, 47, a 6-4, 6-0 win over Thandi, at number 691.
India are playing for the first time at this stage of the competition and on paper the backlog is clear.
While Raina pushed her opponent with a brilliant strike on both sides, Ostapenko’s experience at the highest level was enough to secure the victory.
India’s no. 1 Raina, at 174 on the WTA rankings, started a little nervous but quickly got into her pace and struggled hard from the back of the track, the favorite domain of the home player who won the French Open in 2017 is.
There were six knockouts in the first set, including both opening games, but the telling break occurred in the fourth and fifth games when Ostapenko broke and then held her serve to give a clear lead.
After overcoming his early nerves, Raina belted the ball hard, and although the second set was also notable for his mistakes rather than his winners, Raina forged a 5-2 lead by breaking Ostapenko twice. Ostapenko went back to 5-5, but her concentration faltered once again and the Latvians gave away many points or were defeated for pass by the impressive hit of the Indian.
In the deciding series, both players traded shots as equals, and the difference between world 52 and 174 becomes vague. It was only at the end that Ostapenko was able to shorten the rallies as much as possible to make things more difficult for Raina, and pay for the possible victory for India.
“I’m not happy with the game at all,” Ostapenko said. ‘Just happy with the way I fought. I managed not to play my best and won this game and gave my team the point. But in general it was difficult to play her (Raina), “said the Latvians after a match that lasted two hours and 24 minutes.
Sevastova broke Thandi in the first game but was broken back in the eighth game before breaking again in the next game and holding on to serve out the set.
Sevastova was more of a study in consistency than brilliance, while Thandi, who belted the ball and served powerfully, hit some spectacular ground shots. But the Indian did not have the ability to maintain the required level to throw Sevastova out of balance, and the Latvians saw the game of the day by winning the second set for love in a match of an hour and 17 minute.
In the reverse singles match, Sevastova will play against Raina, while Ostapenko Thandi will take on the fight.
The tie concludes with the doubles match with Latvian Diana Marcinkevica and Daniela Vismane who will tackle the Indian pair Sania Mirza and Raina.
Results: Jelena Ostapenko (Lat) bt Ankita Raina (Ind) 6-2, 5-7, 7-5; Anastasija Sevastova (Lat) bt Karman Kaur Thandi (Ind) 6-4, 6-0.
Source: Telangana Today