Palembang : Top seeds Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan breezed into the men’s doubles quarter-finals while Ankita Raina entered the last eight of the women’s singles at the Asian Games here on Tuesday.
Raina, ranked 189, overpowered world number 243 Eri Hozumi 6-1 6-2 in a round of 16 clash.
Compatriot Karman Kaur Thandi, however, was disappointed after losing to lower-ranked En-Shuo Liang of Chinese Taipei.
The world number 196 lost a close match against the 278th ranked Liang, going down 6-2, 4-6, 6-7 (4) in the pre-quarterfinals. Thandi also lost a close mixed doubles match alongside the experienced Sharan.
The Indians bounced back losing the first set before going down in the super tie-break. The eventual scoreline read 4-6, 6-3, 5-10.
Howevers, India had a good day in the men’s doubles as both its pairings reached the quarter-finals.
Bopanna and Sharan sailed past Thailand’s Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul and Nuttanon Kadchapanan 6-3, 6-1 in another round of 16 match.
Ramakumar Ramanathan and Sumit Nagal, who both are singles specialists and were told to pair up at the eleventh hour, put up a spirited show to outlast Taipei’s fourth seeds Chen Ti and Peng Hsienyin 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2).
Bopanna and Raina are the sole Indian pair left in the mixed doubles draw after the exit of Thandi and Sharan.
The fourth seeds had a tough match against South Korea’s Kim Nari and Lee Jeamoon before prevailing 6-3, 2-6, 11-9.
