Tennis
Rutuja Bhosale-Paige Hourigan win ITF W50 doubles event in China
The Indo-Australian pair defeated 3rd seeded I. Cho and Y.Cho from Chinese Taipei in a thrilling final going all the way to the deciding set.
R.Bhosale and P.Hourigan won the doubles title at the ITF W50 tournament held in Wuning, China. (Image courtesy: Indian Tennis Daily)
Rutuja Bhosale and her Australian partner Paige Hourigan won the ITF W50 doubles title, defeating Chinese Taipei duo Cho I-hsuan and Cho Yi-tsen in the final in Wuning, China, on Saturday.
In what was a thrilling final that went all the way to the deciding set in a best-of-three encounter, the Indo-Australian duo came out on top with a 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 12-10 win.
The match was evenly poised right from the first serve with the 3rd seed Chinese Taipei duo battling out every single point. Their valiant effort was fruitfully rewarded when they won the first set 7-5 and drew first blood in the final.
The intensity did not drop at all in the subsequent set as well with a remarkable fightback from Bhosale and Hourigan, despite being pushed to the limit by their opponents. They won the second set 7-6 (7-5) and tied the scoreline 1-1.
As the deciding set took place, it became a battle of mental perseverance and grit as physical fatigue started to show in all four players, who thus far entertained everyone in a final for the ages.
Ultimately, the Indo-Australian duo had the final laugh when they won the third set after an equally intense third and deciding set 12-10, drawing the curtains on a very memorable final.
