PUNE: Shrivalli Rashmikaa has now gotten used to playing in the main draw.
Going back to her maiden ITF pro circuit event in Indore in 2017, four out of her seven main draw appearances was after entering the qualifying rounds — including one as a lucky loser.
As such, the 20-year-old Hyderabadi makes no fuss about qualifying for the $25,000 ITF NECC-Deccan women’s tennis event here on Sunday.
“I am fully confident. I have been doing this,” grinned the slender girl, who overcame Humera Baharmus 6-1, 6-4 in the second and final qualifying round at the Deccan Gymkhana.
In contrast to what the scoreline might suggest, it was a high-quality match as both players traded fluent groundstrokes with Humera lifting her game in the second set after being down 1-4.
In fact. Humera threatened to take the second set when she forced multiple breakpoints in the eighth game before Rashmikaa held her nerve and serve.
Rashmikaa, who had reached the semifinals in Bengaluru a fortnight ago, proved her mettle when she broke back in the very next game while her fellow Hyderabadi’s levels suddenly dropped.
“I made silly errors and became nervous. I am glad I pulled it off,” said the 5’10” girl, whose reward for the victory was a first-round meeting with home favourite and Solapur winner, Rutuja Bhosale.
Rashmikaa, winner of the 2020 National hard-court championship held earlier this year, had played the main draw of the 2019 edition of the event as a wildcard.
She said she was a more assured player now than she was two years ago. “I am more confident on court now. I am confident of what I can produce on court. Even if things don’t work, I am confident I can come out,” she said.
Rashmikaa, who trains with AR Anand Kumar, described her Bengaluru performance as a “dream run”.
“I took one match at a time. I played without any expectations,” she said.
