$60K ITF Women, Bursa and Artvin, Turkey

[bujilover]

Still admirable that Ankita keeps winning matches and continues to go to at least QF/SF stage in these tough European tournaments. None of the other Indians do so.

Same thoughts.Still she need to win few more ranking points in order to be regular at GS qualifying that will help her financially. Aksu is a tougher opponent plus this bizarre schedule will make things more difficult to stay on course untired.

[bujilover]

Ankita started well winning the first set but failed to sustain the momentum

[QF] Ayla AKSU (TUR,260) [4] 3-6 6-4 6-1 Ankita RAINA (IND,270) [6]

On the other hand,great results from our players in doubles especially for the teens Karman and Cenzig where they upset the top seeds in QF

Here are the doubles results so far:

1st Round

Berfu CENGIZ (TUR) / Karman Kaur THANDI (IND) 6-3 4-6 [10-5] Veronika KAPSHAY (UKR) / Julia WACHACZYK (GE
Prarthana G. THOMBARE (IND) / Ana VESELINOVIC (MNE) [3] 6-4 4-6 [10-8] Anastasia POTAPOVA (RUS) / Valeriya STRAKHOVA (UKR)
Gabriela CE (BRA) / Ankita RAINA (IND) 7-5 6-4 Dea HERDZELAS (BIH) / Tereza MRDEZA (CRO)

Quarterfinal

Berfu CENGIZ (TUR) / Karman Kaur THANDI (IND) 7-6(5) 6-4 Oksana KALASHNIKOVA (GEO) / An-Sophie MESTACH (BEL) [1]
Prarthana G. THOMBARE (IND) / Ana VESELINOVIC (MNE) [3] 3-6 6-2 [10-8] Akgul AMANMURADOVA (UZB) / Michaela HONCOVA (SVK)

Kalashnikova is a top-100 doubles player. Ankita/Ce will play their doubles QF later today.

[PKBasu]

Ankita really needs to win these in order to move up enough to play the Slam qualifiers. She seems to just fall short too often.

If there were more tournaments in India, she would surely have made the breakthrough by now.

[jaydeep]

Ankita and Gabriela defeated 2nd seed Russian pair in straight sets ... This was a super effort from Ankita as she played her third match of the day.

[QF] Gabriela Ce (BRA)/ Ankita Raina (IND) bt (2) Natela Dzalamidze (RUS)/ Valeria Savinykh (RUS) 75 63

[SF] (WC) Berfu Cengiz (TUR)/ Karman Kaur Thandi (IND) vs (4) Elitsa Kostova (BUL)/ Yana Sizikova (RUS)
[SF] (3) Prarthana G. Thombare (IND)/ Ana Veselinovic (MNE) vs Gabriela Ce (BRA)/ Ankita Raina (IND)

[S_K_S]

Ankita really needs to win these in order to move up enough to play the Slam qualifiers. She seems to just fall short too often.

If there were more tournaments in India, she would surely have made the breakthrough by now.

She's been at these rankings for a few years now. Maybe this is as good as it's going to get.

[PKBasu]

If the AITA were more organised, we'd have at least 4-5 Challengers in India each year -- which could have made the crucial difference for someone like Ankita. Her competitors all get some easy points at home, she has to struggle with visas and travel in order to keep playing.

[jaydeep]

Ankita and Ce in the final with dominating win over Prarthana and her partner Ana ... In the final, they r facing 4th seed pair, who scored a comeback win over Karman and her local partner Cangiz in the match tie-break.

At $60K ITF Women's Tournament 2017, Artvin, Turkey

[SF] (WC) Berfu Cengiz (TUR)/ Karman Kaur Thandi (IND) l (4) Elitsa Kostova (BUL)/ Yana Sizikova (RUS) 76(5) 16 7-10
[SF] Gabriela Ce (BRA)/ Ankita Raina (IND) bt (3) Prarthana G. Thombare (IND)/ Ana Veselinovic (MNE) 62 62

[F]Gabriela Ce (BRA)/ Ankita Raina (IND) vs (4) Elitsa Kostova (BUL)/ Yana Sizikova (RUS)

[PKBasu]

I always had a hunch that Ankita should have been picked as Sania's doubles partner for the Rio Olympics, and this result confirms me in that hunch!

[Saniapower]

At $60K ITF Women's Tournament 2017, Artvin, Turkey

[F]Gabriela Ce (BRA)/ Ankita Raina (IND) d. (4) Elitsa Kostova (BUL)/ Yana Sizikova (RUS) 6-2 6-3

[PKBasu]

Comprehensive victory. Congratulations to Ankita Raina and partner!

[jaydeep]

Congrats Ankita for her fourth ITF title of the year ... Here, they didn't lose a set to lift the title.

[suresh]

Congratulations to Ankita and her partner. One has to admire Ankita's persistence and strength of character. One wonders how she managed to get past the lousiest start (in singles) to 2017 without losing confidence in her abilities.