Ankita runs Ostapenko shut, Karman too fights arduous earlier than dropping on day 1 of BJKC

Ankita Raina gave her all in an especially shut defeat whereas Karman Kaur Thandi too fought her coronary heart out earlier than dropping as India trailed 0-2 on the opening day of the Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs, in Latvia on Friday.
The 174th-ranked Ankita gave a mighty scare to 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, ranked 52, earlier than dropping 2-6 7-5 5-7 in two hours and 16 minutes.
Producing high-quality tennis, each the gamers examined all points of one another’s recreation and ultimately Ostapenko’s expertise of enjoying high-stake video games pulled her by.
Karman, ranked as little as 621, confirmed enhancements in her recreation throughout a 4-6 0-6 defeat in opposition to world quantity 47 Anastasija Sevastova within the second singles.
Karman’s livid forehand shocked Sevastova plenty of instances however the Latvian was clearly manner forward when it comes to game-planning and ability.
The tall Karman, although, now competes arduous regardless of the state of affairs — a side which was absent earlier in her recreation.
As she went for her photographs, a whole lot of unforced errors value Karman expensive.
It value her the second recreation of the second set when she was up 40-0 on Sevastova’s serve however may convert not one of the breakpoints. From there it was one-way visitors.
Competing exterior the zonal competitors for the primary time, India will now need to win all three matches on Saturday — two reverse singles and a doubles — in the event that they need to advance to the Qualifiers.
One extra defeat will push them again to Asia/Oceania zone.
The match between Ankita and Ostapenko was plagued by breaks as the 2 gamers fought arduous within the match wherein the momentum stored shifting.
She performs her greatest tennis in Billie Jean King Cup and Friday was no completely different as Ankita put her a lot superior opponent below the pump.
Initially she was struggling along with her first serve and didn’t have a lot management over her strokes however after dropping the primary set Ankita opened up.
She began to stroke freely. The launched strain gave her the freedom to go for her photographs, earn factors and put Ostapenko in some bother.

Three successive breaks marked the start of the match with Ankita getting damaged at love within the very first recreation of the opening singles.
Ostapenko’s vary of photographs meant that Ankita was working on each the flanks to retrieve the balls.The Indian was one level away from going 3-0 up within the second set however dropped serve from 40-15. She went 5-2 up however allowed Ostapenko to make it 5-5.
A forehand error by Ostapenko gave Ankita a set level however the Latvian served nicely to save lots of that.
The Indian had three set factors in twelfth recreation and transformed the second when Ostapenko hit a forehand broad, going for a cross-court winner.
Ankita broke again within the fourth recreation as Ostapenko was struggling along with her again.
Down 0-40 within the fifth, Ankita held with Ostapenko’s error serving to her.
She dragged it to the ultimate set which was neck-and-neck at 5-5. At 30-all within the eleventh recreation Ankita was down a break level and misplaced her serve to present her rival an opportunity to serve out the match.