Doubles Finalists: Raina and Bhosale Impress in Kunshan
Indian pair Ankita Raina and Rutuja Bhosale capped off a week of high-level doubles action with a commendable runners-up finish at the ITF W35 tournament in Kunshan, China. The top-seeded Indian duo showcased exceptional grit and synergy to reach the title match before ultimately falling to the second-seeded Chinese pair, Zongyu Li and Wushuang Zheng, in the final.
The Road to the Final
Raina and Bhosale’s journey to the championship clash was anything but straightforward, the pair’s resolve immediately tested in the opening round.
In a first-round marathon, the Indian duo overcame the Chinese pairing of Jiayu Xu and Chengyiyi Yuan. After dropping a tense opening set in a tie-break (6-7(5)), Raina and Bhosale recalibrated their approach to dominate the crucial second set and the deciding tie-break, sealing the win with a 6-7(5), 6-4, [10-3] scoreline.
That hard-fought victory appeared to sharpen their game, as they navigated the next two rounds with clinical precision.
In the quarter-finals, they delivered a confident performance against local favourites Fangzhou Liu and Jiaqi Wang, securing a swift victory in straight sets 6-3, 6-1. They carried this momentum into the semi-finals, where they faced the third-seeded Korean pair, Dayeon Back and Eunhye Lee. The Indian partnership remained composed and effective, wrapping up the match 6-4, 6-2 to book their spot in the final.
Final Hurdle Proves Too Steep
The final saw Raina and Bhosale up against the second seeds, Zongyu Li and Wushuang Zheng, who were a formidable force on home soil. The Chinese duo played solid, relentless tennis, controlling the baseline and capitalizing on early break opportunities in both sets.
The final score of 2-6, 2-6 reflected the superiority of the Chinese pair on the day, but it does little to diminish the quality of the tournament Ankita Raina and Rutuja Bhosale produced. Their performance in Kunshan not only adds a silver finish to their records but also underscores their standing as a strong partnership capable of challenging the top teams on the international circuit.
