Rising star Paavanii Paathak demonstrated exceptional intensity and unwavering focus to secure a dominant 6-4, 6-3 victory over Pooja Ingale in the opening round of the $15,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament. The compelling match unfolded at the Tennis Project in Baliawas on Tuesday.
For Pooja Ingale, who had impressed with a brilliant performance against Paola Lopez at the same venue just last week, this early exit was undoubtedly a setback. However, Paavanii’s conviction in her game plan and her superior concentration proved to be the decisive factors in their baseline showdown.
Looking ahead, Paavanii Paathak is set to face the victor of the upcoming match between third seed Elena Jamshidi and Sofia Suslova, promising another exciting contest.
Elsewhere on the courts, Prathyusha Rachapudi leveraged her extensive training at the venue over the past few days to comfortably defeat the talented left-hander Aditi Rawat in straight sets. Rachapudi’s impressive form sets her up for a clash against the winner of the match between Saumya Vig and Eva Desvignes.
Day’s Results:
Singles (first round): Jiho Shin (Korea) defeated Harshini Nagaraj 6-3, 6-3; Shihomi Leong (Malaysia) defeated Aarnavi Tomar 6-0, 6-0; Prathyusha Rachapudi defeated Aditi Rawat 6-4, 6-3; Paavanii Paathak defeated Pooja Ingale 6-4, 6-3.
Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Akanksha Nitture & Soha Sadiq defeated Mahika Khanna & Sahira Singh 6-0, 6-2; Eva Desvignes (Singapore) & Elsa Wan (Malaysia) defeated Danica Fernando & Riya Sachdeva 6-1, 6-1; Mirudhula Palanivel & Janani Ramesh defeated Abhaya Vemuri & Apurva Vemuri 6-2, 2-6, [10-8]; Carolann Delaunay (California) & Paola Lopez (USA) defeated Maria Mikhailova & Sofia Suslova 7-5, 6-1.