Mumbai, Feb 1 (IANS) Ankita Raina crashed out in the Qualifiers of the Mumbai Open WTA 125K Series at the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) on Sunday. Peangtarn Plipuech, Matsuda Misaki, Zuzzana Pawlikowska, and Kristiana Sidorova registered notable wins to book their place in the main draw.
In a hard-fought encounter, Indian Olympian Ankita Raina stumbled against Peangtarn Plipuech. The Thailand international managed to get over the line with the score of 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 in a match that lasted 2 hours and 39 minutes at the centre court.
Earlier in the day, Japan’s Matsuda Misaki pulled off a sensational result to defeat Argentina’s Nicole Fossa Huergo, the number one seed in the qualifiers. Despite a sluggish start, the Japanese tennis star secured a 7-5, 6-4 victory in an hour and 33 minutes, confirming her place in the main draw.
Poland’s Zuzzana Pawlikowska had to dig deep against Finland’s Anastasia Kulikova in a three-set marathon that lasted a little over three hours. The Polish player prevailed 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), clinching the third set tiebreaker to progress to the next round.
In the last game of the day, Kristiana Sidorova cruised past Yasmine Kabbaj, the number two seed in the qualifiers. The former registered a dominant 6-4, 6-2 win to round up the day’s action.
Indian players will be firmly in the spotlight when the main draw action begins on February 2, with several homegrown talents set to take on strong international opposition. India’s No.1 Women’s Singles star Sahaja Yamalapalli will face Japan’s Eri Shimizu.
Wild card entrant Shrivalli Bhamidipaty will face a qualifier in the opening round, while Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi, also a wild card recipient, has been drawn against Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee. Maharashtra’s No.1 singles player, Vaishnavi Adkar, will clash against Austria’s Lilli Tagger. Another Indian Wild Card, Vaidehee Chaudhari, will open her campaign against third seed Leolia Jeanjean of France.
Vaidehee Chaudhari was given the wild card into the main draw after Sahaja Yamalapalli earned direct entry into the Main Draw of the Mumbai Open WTA 125K Series. She is entering the Mumbai Open in a rich vein of form winning W35 Solapur in December after beating Michika Ozeki in the final 2025 and reaching the final of WTT 15 in Ahmedabad in January. The 25-year-old was also a mainstay in the Indian Team at the Billie Jean King Cup Asia Oceania Group 1 and won crucial Singles matches for her side.
–IANS
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