Tennis Roundup | Ankita Raina beats Eudice Chong to progress into semis of Luan Challenger
Ankita Raina continued her winning streak in the Luan Challenger, China, as she defeated Hong Kong’s Eudice Wong Chong in a thrilling three-setter to advance into the semi-final of the tournament. The world no. 175 would be facing China’s Duan Yingying next on Saturday in the semis.
Raina couldn’t have started the matter any worse after she saw herself getting broken twice in the first and the third game of the first set to have a horrible beginning. She lost the first set 2-6 with Chong looking favourite to go through.
She started the second set much better but Chong was not someone to falter so easily and it took until the eighth game before Raina managed to break her Hong Kong opponent. However, just when she looked to have gotten on track, Chong broke Raina back in the immediate next game to make it 4-5. However, Raina won the battle of the nerves as she successfully won the second set by breaking Chong for the second consecutive time.
If that looked like an anomaly, then the third set was dream competition for the onlookers. With all to play for now, both the players gave their all and the ride was maddening. It was a battle of who could make more errors and Wong won after getting broken as many as five times in the second, sixth, eighth, tenth, and twelfth game. Raina won it 7-5 but not getting broken four times in the third, fifth, seventh, and ninth game.
Raina would be facing China’s Duan Yingying next on Saturday in the semis and it should be an easy match for the Indian as Duan is ranked 118 ranks below her.