Ankita Raina, 25, who lost to Russia's Evgeniya Rodina 6-3, 7-6(2) in Round One of the French Open last month, will face wildcard entrant, Maia Lumsden of England
World No. 213 Ankita Raina
India's highest ranked women's singles player Ankita Raina is all set to make her maiden appearance in the premier grasscourt tournament, Wimbledon, her second Grand Slam event, today.
Raina, 25, who lost to Russia's Evgeniya Rodina 6-3, 7-6(2) in Round One of the French Open last month, will face wildcard entrant, Maia Lumsden of England. "Playing Wimbledon is every player's dream, so it's definitely a dream come true, but playing in the main draw would be my next step," the Ahmedabad-born Raina, 25, told mid-day from London on Sunday.
Raina, who dropped eight places to 213 in the latest WTA rankings released yesterday, said a Grand Slam experience was gold dust and her Roland Garros run will keep her in good stead at Wimbledon.
"The French Open experience helped me in my belief that I belong here. The transition from clay to grass took me some time to adapt. My movement and tactics will be totally different. But I am trying to improve different aspects of my game daily, without thinking about my ranking or results. The same goes for Wimbledon, but currently I am working on my serve accuracy," she added.
Spelling out Raina's goals for Wimbledon, her coach Hemant Bendre said: "Game-wise, she's doing really well. Ever since her WTA quarter-final show in Mumbai, Ankita has the belief that she knows she can do well.
"For Wimbledon, I would love to see her serve well, that's our goal for the next two to three months." Asked if she had the opportunity of meeting any of her idols at Wimbledon, Raina replied, "I saw Maria Sharapova practice and was inspired by her intensity on court. I'm looking forward to have a glimpse of Serena [Williams]."
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