Xtra Time Web Desk: The tennis draw is out for the Tokyo Olympics which gets underway from Friday. Sumit Nagal will face Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan in the first round while in the women’s doubles Sania Mirza and Ankita Raina will be up against World No. 48 Lyudmyla Kichenok and World No. 44 Nadiia Kichenok in Round 1.
World No. 137 Sania Mirza and World No. 100 Ankita Raina will find it tough to go past their higher ranked opponent in Round 1. Comparatively Sumit Nagal should find it easy against Istomin who is ranked below Nagal who is now World No 160. But the Indian will face an uphill task in Round 2 as he may have to face World No 2 Daniil Medvedev.
Sumit had a last minute entry for singles in the Tokyo Olympics as his ranking did not allow a direct entry. For Sania, it is her fourth Olympics. She had teamed up with Sunith Rao in Beijing in 2008, Rushmi Chakravathi in London in 2012, Prarthana Thombare in Rio 2016, and Ankita Raina will be her fourth different partner on the straight.