Ankita Raina and Rutuja Bhosale Fall in Tennis Thriller After Strong Start at Asian Games 2026

Ankita Raina and Rutuja Bhosale came within one set of advancing at the Asian Games 2026, but Kazakhstan's Anna Danilina and Yulia Putintseva fought back to eliminate the Indian pair in a closely contested women's doubles opener.

The Indian veterans made an impressive start, winning the opening set 7-5 after recovering from a 5-5 scoreline. But Kazakhstan responded strongly in the second set, taking it 6-3 and forcing a deciding 10-point match tiebreak. There, Danilina and Putintseva took control at the crucial stage and completed a 5-7, 6-3, [10-5] victory to advance to the second round.

For Raina and Bhosale, the defeat ended their women's doubles campaign, although both players still have the mixed doubles competition ahead.

The opening set immediately showed why the contest was expected to be competitive. Raina and Bhosale went toe-to-toe with the Kazakh pair and managed to stay level deep into the set. At 5-5, neither team had been able to create the decisive separation. The Indians then found the breakthrough when it mattered most.

They won the next two games to take the opening set 7-5, putting themselves within one set of progressing to the next round. It was an encouraging start against a pair containing considerable international experience. Putintseva, in particular, is a regular presence on the WTA Tour and has spent significant time inside the world's top 100 in singles. Danilina is also an accomplished doubles player, making the Indians' opening-set performance particularly notable.

The second set followed a different pattern. Danilina and Putintseva settled into the match and began to exert more control. The Kazakh pair secured the crucial breaks and prevented the Indians from building the same momentum they had enjoyed in the first set.

Raina and Bhosale eventually lost the set 6-3. With one set apiece, the contest moved to a 10-point match tiebreak a format that leaves very little room for recovery once a team establishes an advantage. The Indians therefore had another opportunity to produce a decisive finish. They could not quite do it.

The opening exchanges of the deciding tiebreak suggested another close battle. Kazakhstan took the first point, but India responded by winning the next three to move ahead 3-1.

At 3-1, the Indian pair appeared to have gained the early advantage. Danilina and Putintseva, however, responded immediately. They won the next two points to level the score at 3-3 before taking control of the tiebreak. The Kazakh pair then won five consecutive points, turning a 3-3 contest into a 8-3 advantage.

India finally stopped the run to make it 8-4, but Kazakhstan remained firmly in control. At 9-4, Danilina and Putintseva had five match points.

Raina and Bhosale saved one, but the Kazakh pair converted the next opportunity to complete the 10-5 tiebreak victory. The match therefore ended 5-7, 6-3, [10-5] in Kazakhstan's favour.

For the Indian pair, the biggest frustration will be that they had taken the first set and were within one set of victory. The 7-5 opening set demonstrated that they could match the Kazakh duo over extended exchanges and handle the pressure of a tight finish. But once Danilina and Putintseva changed the rhythm of the contest, India struggled to regain the same control.

The match tiebreak magnified that difference. At 3-3, the Indians were still firmly in contention. The five-point streak from Kazakhstan, however, shifted the entire contest. In a format where the first team to 10 points with a two-point margin wins, such momentum swings can be decisive.

The tennis schedule was also affected by weather conditions. Sumit Nagal was still waiting to begin his campaign after his scheduled match on a Show Court was delayed. Matches on indoor courts had already started, allowing the women's doubles contest involving Raina and Bhosale to proceed. The disruption added another layer to the opening day of India's tennis campaign.

Raina and Bhosale ultimately became India's first women's doubles representatives in action, but their run lasted only one round.

Although the women's doubles campaign is over, Raina and Bhosale still have the mixed doubles competition ahead. That gives both players another opportunity to contribute to India's tennis campaign at the Asian Games. The women's singles event does not feature an Indian representative following the federation's decision, placing additional importance on India's doubles entries.

For Raina and Bhosale, the focus will now shift towards their mixed doubles assignments. Their opening match showed plenty of positive signs. They won a tight first set against a highly experienced Kazakh pairing and remained competitive until the deciding tiebreak. Ultimately, though, Danilina and Putintseva produced the stronger response when the match entered its most decisive phase.

A 7-5, 3-6, 5-10 defeat ends India's women's doubles campaign, but Raina and Bhosale's competitive showing gives them something to build on as they turn their attention to the mixed doubles draw.