Ankita Raina on Sunday qualified for the doubles event of the Australian Open which will be the first major Grand Slam which will welcome a live audience back in the tournament since the coronavirus pandemic. With this vitory, she became the third Indian woman to secure a place in the main draw of a Grand Slam.

Ankita along with28-year-old  Ankita  her Romanian partner Mihaela Buzarnecu earned a direct entry for the doubles event. Only Sania Mirza and Nirupama Vaidyanathan have competed in the Grand Slam main draws for India before. She became only second Indian after six-time Grand Slam champion Sania to take part in the women's doubles of a tennis major. Nirupama was the first to crack a Grand Slam main draw, back in 1998 at the Australian Open. ow, Ankita and Mihaela will lock horns with Australian wild card pair of Olivia Gadecki and Belinda Woolcock in the first round.

India's ace tennis player Sumit Nagal will also compete in the men's singles event. He will face Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis in the first-round clash on Monday. Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan will present their challenge in the men's doubles with their respective partners.
Top seed players like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Serena Williams, Ash Barty and Simona Halep will be seen in Australia Open, which commences on February 8.

Also Read: 

Matteo Berrettini, Fognini send Italy to ATP Cup final

ATKMB was better in second half: Coach Habas

Alexander conceding penalty was the turning point: Odisha coach Peyton