India Open: Anupama (R), 19, had gotten the better of Rakshitha, 17, in the all-Indian clash 21-17, 21-18. (Express Photo/BAI)
“I couldn’t play hard smashes because she returned everything,” Rakshitha Sree Santosh Ramraj burst out smiling, speaking about Anupama Upadhyaya, her opponent on the day. “By the time she hit 20 strokes, I was tired. I had back pain for the past month and started playing only a week ago. My stamina was zero, and this girl knew it!” More hearty laughter. “And she made me do the tosses!”
“Come on! Don’t say that. The court was damn slow!” Anupama chimed in, defending as well as she did on court. “How can I hit smashes at you? You’ll convert it, and then I will have to run more… Everyone is playing only rallies here.” But Rakshitha was having none of it: “But you know I was injured!”
They emerged from the playing area after a hard-fought, sometimes scrappy, first-round match at the India Open on Wednesday, still sweating profusely after their 43-minute battle. Anupama, 19, had gotten the better of Rakshitha, 17, in the all-Indian clash 21-17, 21-18. But as they started speaking to the media, the intensity made way for light-hearted banter. The foes on the court quickly reverted to being the friends that they are, off it.
Two of India’s brightest young talents, who train together at Pullela Gopichand’s academy, were not supposed to face each other as per the original draw. Anupama was PV Sindhu’s first-round opponent. But the tournament regulations mandated for a redraw after withdrawals, and it pitted the two pals against each other.
“We have played against each other four or five times, including in juniors. Since 2019, we’ve played in the world junior selection trials, and now we’re competing at the senior level,” Anupama said. “It’s really good to play against a friend and partner who goes to the same academy. We attend tournaments together and also stay together. We enjoy, dance, watch reels, go out, and shop.”
Anupama, as the older and higher-ranked player, has played in a few big events on tour. But for Rakshitha, the India Open was her first Super 750 level event. Both have high hopes for 2025, one of the common targets being winning a Super 300 event.
“I want to find a standard at this level so I can compete against top-10 players. This is my first time playing the India Open Super 750. Last year, I was just watching all of them play,” Anupama said. “I also played at the Malaysia Open, against Pornpawee Chochuwong and could have won that match but in the third game, I wasn’t feeling well, had stomach pain. Last year, I played my first 750 event at the China Masters and won my match against Beiwen Zhang. All this helps me know that I can be their equal. I have the speed and ability against them.”
Rakshitha, who is from Tamil Nadu, has been at the Gopichand Academy longer while Anupama only joined last October, but they have quickly developed a bond. “Her smash power is really good, as is her footwork. Her deceptive drops from mid-court are impressive,” Anupama said of Rakshitha, who is a fan of Tai Tzu-Ying.
“Her defence is extremely good! She retrieves everything. That is the worst part of playing her,” Rakshitha responded in grudging admiration about Anupama. On their journey from here on, as they look to climb the world rankings, the two teenagers have evidently got each other’s back.
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