Ankita Raina turns into fifth Indian lady to characteristic in Grand Slam important draw

Ankita Raina on Sunday turned solely the fifth Indian lady tennis participant in Open period to safe a spot in the principle draw of a Grand Slam as she made the minimize for the ladies’s doubles occasion of the Australian Open.
The yr’s first Grand Slam begins on Monday.
After lacking out on the ladies’s singles important draw, she nonetheless had an opportunity to qualify as a ‘lucky loser’ until the completion of the primary spherical, however the 28-year-old realised her long-time dream when she signed up with Romania’s Mihaela Buzarnecu and earned a direct entry.
Nirupama Mankad (1971), Nirupama Vaidyanathan (1998), Sania Mirza and Indian-American Shikha Uberoi (2004) have competed within the Grand Slam important attracts for the nation.
Ankita is just the second Indian after Sania, a six-time Grand Slam champion, to compete within the ladies’s doubles of a tennis main.
Nirupama was the primary to crack a singles Grand Slam important draw, again in 1998 at Australian Open, whereas Nirupama Mankad performed the 1971 Wimbledon combined doubles with Anand Amritraj.
Shikha had competed within the 2004 US Open and reached the singles second spherical.
The braveheart, who performed a key position in Indian Fed Cup workforce’s large progress, mentioned though singles maintain a unique significance, making the doubles too is particular.
“It’s first main draw of a Grand Slam, so singles or doubles, I will take it. It’s special. Years of hard work, toil and now I am there. Not only my hard work but blessings and support of countless people have brought me here, I can’t forget that,” Ankita informed PTI after her entry.
“I know it’s doubles but India’s name will be there. These are the moments that spark something among people. Maybe a few will start dreaming that it’s possible,” she added.
“People start believing. We touch many small milestones but this one is at a pinnacle. Anyone who starts playing professional tennis, dreams of playing in a Grand Slam.”
“Regardless of the fact that it is doubles, I will take it. I kept at it. I stayed in the process. Maybe next time, I will play singles too. After years of hard work, it is starting with doubles but singles will happen. It’s first, so special,” she added.
Ankita mentioned initially she didn’t discover her title within the draw and was upset.
“I can’t believe it, I missed my name in the sheet. After practice I asked for the draw and frantically looked for my name. I did not find it. Then my coach called me to say I have made it,” she mentioned.
Ankita had signed up with Romanian southpaw Mihaela, who was a top-50 singles participant earlier than damage pegged her again, on Friday.
They will open their marketing campaign towards Australian wild card pair of Olivia Gadecki and Belinda Woolcock.
“A friend told me that Mihaela is looking for a partner. I spoke to her and she agreed. I have not played with her before but I have played with a lefty on the tour. It make a good combination. I am looking forward to it.”
India’s Fed Cup captain Vishal Uppal mentioned the feat will give Ankita extra perception.
“It’s good that she has got opportunity to play with the best. It will give her the belief that she belongs there. She is very hard working, industrious player. I like her attitude, she won’t give up,” Uppal informed PTI.
“She keeps fighting. She is trying to find her feet in the big league. She is a solid baseliner, if she adds a couple of variations she can get better,” he added.
India can have 4 Indians competing within the season’s first Grand Slam.
Sumit Nagal will compete within the males’s singles whereas Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan will current their problem within the males’s doubles with their respective companions.
Nagal has drawn Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis as his first spherical opponent.
Bopanna and his Japanese companion Ben McLachlan will tackle Korean wild card entrants Ji Sung Nam and Min-Kyu Song.
Sharan and his Slovakian companion Igor Zelenay will tackle German combo of Yannick Hanfmann and Kevin Krawietz. PTI