Mumbai Open | Ankita crashes out in the opening round

What appeared to be a blessing in disguise turned into a harsh lesson as India’s Ankita Raina crashed out in the opening round of the L&T Mumbai Open 125K Series at the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) centre court here on Monday.

Ankita, who benefited from the withdrawal of top seed Lulu Sun of New Zealand due to illness, failed to capitalise on the opportunity as Japan’s Misaki Matsuda outplayed her 6-4, 6-0 on the opening day of the main draw.

Matsuda set the tone early with her aggressive intent, combining depth from the baseline with frequent forays to the net. The Japanese player consistently put Ankita on the back foot, using crisp volleys to deny the Indian any rhythm in extended rallies.

From the baseline, Matsuda’s forehand proved decisive. She dictated play with clean winners down the line, often opening up the court before finishing points with ease. While Ankita attempted to counter-punch in phases, Matsuda showcased her finesse with well-timed drop shots whenever the Indian retreated deep behind the baseline, keeping her under constant pressure. Matsuda’s superior play eventually earned her the first set.

In the second set, Matsuda strung together games swiftly and tightened her grip on the contest. Ankita offered brief resistance, but it was not enough to stem the momentum, as the Matsuda closed out the match with authority.

In another contest, last season’s runner-up, Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew, cruised into the round-of-16 after thrashing Slovakia’s Viktoria Morvayova 6-2, 6-1.

Vaidehi Chaudhari was overpowered 6-2, 6-0 by France’s Leolia Jeanjean on centre court in a match that lasted just over an hour.

Other results: Mai Hontama (Jpn) bt Alevtina Ibragimova 6-1, 6-4; Mei Yamaguchi (Jpn) bt Polina Iatcenko 5-7, 6-3, 6-3.