Ankita Raina is happy about the strong start for the season. If you think winning the double crown in Nonthaburi in the $25,000 ITF women’s event last week was special, the 27-year-old Ankita puts things in perspective by pointing out that she had finished the last season with a double crown in Solapur.
“I am glad to continue from last year when I ended on a winning note. But, I am not satisfied. I am hungry to reach the next level. I want to have a good performance in the Grand Slams. I will use this confidence to lift my game and get the next big result,” said Ankita, when contacted in Thailand.
The early exit at the Australian Open was a disappointment, but Ankita pointed out that she was helpless because of the suffocating conditions.
“I was disappointed with the qualifying match at the Australian Open because I didn’t feel usual that day. I think, somewhere the smoke also played a part. I didn’t feel physically great which hampered my performance,” she said.
Elaborating further, Ankita threw more light on her situation. “In the morning when I got to the venue, I could see the sky wasn’t clear. I remember blue sky from last year in Melbourne. This was smoke probably. From the beginning of my match, I was feeling tired and uneasy in my chest. It was strange when it was just two or three games into the match. I took the medical time out in the second set. I think it was 1-3, and I threw up. I asked for doctor. It was 2-3 when the physio came on court. I told them that I felt a burning sensation in the chest, my stomach was paining and I just felt drained. That was not usual for one and a half set. No way! I was just unlucky it happened on such an important day,” said Ankita.
Overall, she said that she was happy with her fitness and game, even though she was keen to step it up and reach higher standards.
“I have to keep getting better. I personally can see the improvement in a lot of aspects from the last one and a half years or so.”
Ankita was quite thrilled to win a doubles crown in front of her mother in Nonthaburi.
“With God’s grace, I have had my mother or team to travel with me. It makes a huge difference. Even just to have the moral support and have someone to help you with small things makes a lot of difference. I have travelled alone since I was 14 years old. That is a long time. I rarely get time with family. So, it was lovely to have mum with me here, and am more than happy to have my coach, my team for the Slams,” Ankita said.
