"Want to break into top 300" - National tennis champion Ankita Raina Interview

20 year old Ankita Raina is coming off a successful week in Kolkata, where she won the National Grasscourt Championships title for the second time (the first being in 2009) and also reached the doubles finals. Ankita is currently India’s fourth highest ranked tennis player and is one of several young Indians trying to follow in the footsteps of Sania Mirza. Sportskeeda caught up with her for a quick chat following her win in Kolkata on Saturday.

Congratulations on winning your first national grass court title. Can you tell us how you are feeling right now and also about how the entire week went by?

I am really happy that I won the grass court nationals once again after 3 years. Firstly, I am really thankful to God, also my family, friends and coach who have been a great pillar of support. It was a wonderful week in Kolkata. As I had just returned from Fed Cup, I was quite sharp and confident with the way I was playing. I think I played some really good tennis!

How will you celebrate your title win? Any special treats for yourself?

There’s really no time to celebrate as I have a tournament coming up in Muzzafarnagar, starting from 18th Feb. So, I am focusing onthis tournament now and as it is on grass again, I am hoping to continue playing with the same focus, intensity and aggression. But yes, of course I am going to celebrate with my family and friends once I’m back in Pune.

You are now heading to the ITF event in Muzaffarnagar. How different is the level of competition in the Indian nationals and the ITF events?

There is no doubt that the ITF events are much more competitive than the Indian nationals but according to me, every match is important. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a national or international event. You definitely get the confidence after wining the National Championship, that you are the best in your country, but yes, the experience of playing ITF events is really needed as you get to play against better ranked players.

You were part of the Indian Fed Cup team, which recently got relegated to Asia Oceania Group II. What are your thoughts on the team’s performance in Kazakhstan and about the relegation?

It was a really proud moment representing the country and a really good experience. As you are aware that we had Kazakhstan and Thailand in our group which are really strong teams, I think we gave our best! Yes of course, there is always a scope of improvement and I’m sure we will do much better next time.

What are your thoughts on the Indian Tennis Players Association and are you planning to be a part of the association?

No comments.

You are currently 20 years old and ranked no. 560 in the world in singles and no. 460 in doubles. What are your goals for the 2013 season? What do you feel you need to do to break into the top 200 in the world rankings?

Ranking wise, my goals for the 2013 season for singles is to break into top 300 and for doubles, it’s 200. To break into the top 200, I think I should work on improving my fitness and strength. Also, I am working on my serve as a weapon.

There are a lot of young girls from India who are playing the ITF circuit. Are you close friends with any of the other Indian girls? What’s the camaraderie like between you all?

I am really close to a few Juniors and Seniors from India who play the ITF circuit. We are like a family and are always there for each other. It’s fun when we travel for the same tournaments. One doesn’t get homesick!