Rutuja Bhosale wins doubles opener with Hiroko Kuwata in Mumbai Open
Rutuja Bhosale warmed up for the tougher challenges ahead as she in partnership with Hiroko Kuwata of Japan pipped Ankita Raina and her Croatian partnr Tereza Mrdeza 7-5, 3-6, 11-9 in the doubles pre-quarterfinals of the $125,000 L&T Mumbai Open on Tuesday.
Interestingly, Rutuja will play Ankita in the first round of singles. Karman Kaur Thandi will challenge top seed Zheng Saisai of China, while qualifier Pranjala Yadlapalli will face fifth seed Luksika Kumkhum.
The other Indian to feature on the opening day of action, after an unscheduled ‘’off’’ on Monday owing to the international one-day cricket match at the CCI, Prarthana Thombare lost her doubles 7-10 in the super tie-break in partnership with Luksika Kumkhum of Thailand.
The results:
Singles (first round): Bibiane Schoofs (Ned) bt Jana Fett (Cro) 6-3, 6-2; Barbora Stefkova 9Cze) bt Tereza Martincova (Cze) 6-4, 6-4; Ekaterina Gorgodze (Geo) bt Sofia Shapatava (Geo) 6-2, 6-4; Urszula Radwanska (Pol) bt Zhu Lin (Chn) 7-6(5), 6-3; Irina Khromacheva (Rus) bt Hiroko Kuwata (Jpn) 6-1, 6-4; Valentini Grammatikopoulou (Gre) bt Kwan Yau Ng (Hkg) 6-0, 6-2; Deniz Khazaniuk (Isr) bt Sachia Vickery (US) 2-6, 7-5, 5-1 (reitred); Nao Hibino (Jpn) bt Sabine Lisicki (Ger) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Jia-Jing Lu (Chn) bt Ivana Jorovic (Srb) 5-7, 6-1, 6-1; Sabina Sharipova (Uzb) bt Misaki Doi (Jpn) 6-1, 7-6(4); Danila Jakupovic (Slo) bt Veronika Kudermetova (Rus) 6-4, 6-1.
Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Hiroko Kuwata (Jpn) & Rutuja Bhosale bt Tereza Mrdeza (Cro) & Ankita Raina 7-5, 3-6, 11-9; Shu-YIng Hsieh (Tpe) & Natalija Kostic (Srb) bt Luksika Kumkhum (Tha) & Prarthana Thombare 6-2, 2-6, 10-7; Olga Danilovic (Srb) & Danka Kovnic (Mne) bt Yau Kwarr Ng (Hkg) & Zheng saisai (Chn) 6-4, 7-6(3).
