Stuns third seed at W35 Nagpur
Mohali: Roundglass Tennis Academy’s Anjali Rathi made her debut in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings, stunning third seed and 788 ranked Michika Ozeki of Japan in straight sets 6-3, 6-2, in the second qualifying round of the W35 Nagpur tennis tournament to qualify for the main draw. The 18-year-old unseeded player secured her third point in WTA tournaments with this win enabling her to meet the criteria to enter the prestigious rankings.
She will face WTA ranked 475 Dayeon Back of South Korea in the first round. Anjali beat Priyanshi Bhandari 6-4, 6-3 in the first qualifying round.
Anjali joined Roundglass Tennis Academy six months back and practices under the supervision of Technical Director of the Academy and renowned coach, Aditya Sachdeva. Speaking on the milestone in his ward’s budding career, Aditya said, “Anjali has been performing well in the circuit for some time and she has shown tremendous improvement after joining us. It is a great achievement to enter the WTA rankings and we hope that she continues her progression but the road ahead will be tough as the competition is very high”.
Speaking on the achievement and the contribution of Roundglass Tennis Academy in her growth, Anjali Rathi said, “I am excited about entering the WTA Rankings. It is just a start for me and I want to continue growing from here. Roundglass Tennis Academy has been immense in helping me to take the next step in my career. The Academy focuses not only on my game but on the wholistic development of athletes and this helps in the overall development as a player.”
Anjali is in fine form this season as she has won the singles title in the AITA–CLTA National Ranking Championships along with being the runner up in doubles. Anjali is currently ranked 572 in the ITF circuit and she has a career high rank of 409 which she had achieved last year. She was also the winner of The Road to Wimbledon, The All England Lawn Tennis Club’ prestigious junior tournament for players aged 14 and under, back in 2019.
Results:
Qualifying Round 2: Anjali Rathi bt Michika Ozeki (Japan) – 6-3, 6-2
