US Open 2021: Ankita Raina bows out of qualifiers despite gritty fightback in third set against American Jamie Loeb

New York: India’s Ankita Raina saved a match point in the decisive set but eventually bowed out of the US Open women’s singles qualifiers following a three-set defeat against American Jamie Loeb on Tuesday.

Ranked 193, Raina lost to the American ranked one place below her, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6 in a nearly two-hour opening round contest at the Flushing Meadows.

In the decisive set, Ankita dropped her serve in the eighth game but got the break back in the next.

However, she again slipped 15-40 to be down by two match points. She managed to save one but the American ended the contest by converting her second chance.

Among other Indians in fray, Sumit Nagal will be up against Argentina’s Juan Pablo Ficovich on Tuesday.

Also featuring in the men’s singles qualifying draw are Prajnesh Gunneswaran and Ramkumar Ramanathan.

Prajnesh is up against Canadian Brayden Schnur, while Ramkumar is set to clash with Russian Evgeny Donskoy.