Kinetic Women’s Challenger RD1: American Pair Amongst Four Surprise Winners

The opening day of the women’s event at the Kinetic 5k Challenger was a surprising one, with four of the eight matches being won by unseeded players.

Americans Anna Shumway and Riya Navani both won on home soil, with the former taking just nine minutes to win her opening match of the Challenger 5 level competition. 

Shumway came up against Pakistan’s Noorena Shams, and only dropped two points in the entire contest, showing her class in an incredible 11-1, 11-1, 11-0 victory to move into the last eight of the tournament.

She will be joined by compatriot Riya Navani, after the 16-year-old downed No.6 seed Hana Ismail. The American lost the second game to see Ismail tie the match at 1-1, but a tie-break win in the third game was crucial, and she went on to seal the win in four games.

Guatemala’s Mary Mijas and Japan’s Risa Sugamoto also caused seeding upsets on day one in Florida. The Guatemalan went the distance to down No.4 seed Sara Khan, while Sugimoto overcame the challenge of Pakistan’s Sana Bahadar to set up an all-Japanese clash with No.3 seed Erisa Sano Herring in the last eight.

The quarter finals of the Kinetic 5k Challenger will take place on Wednesday, November 23, with the four unseeded players aiming to continue their knockout runs and make the semis. You can keep up to date with live scores from the tournament here.

First Round Results: Kinetic 5k Challenger (Women’s)
[1] Wen Li Lai (MAS) bt Emilia Falconi (ECU) 3-0: 11-0, 11-3, 11-2 (17m)
Riya Navani (USA) bt [6] Hana Ismail (EGY) 3-1: 11-6, 7-11, 12-10, 11-8 (39m)
Anna Shumway (USA) bt [7] Noorena Shams (PAK) 3-0: 11-1, 11-1, 11-0 (9m)
Mary Mijas (GUA) bt [4] Sara Khan (CAN) 3-2: 9-11, 17-15, 7-11, 11-6, 11-5 (36m)
[3] Erisa Sano Herring (JPN) bt Isabella Tang (USA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-6 (17m)
Risa Sugimoto (JPN) bt [8] Sana Bahadar (PAK) 3-0: 11-2, 11-1, 11-5 (15m)
[5] Maria Moya (ECU) bt Natalie de Champlain (USA) 3-0: 11-1, 11-3, 11-3 (15m)
[2] Hannah Blatt (CAN) bt Hannah Guthrie (CAN) 3-0: 11-3, 11-4, 11-4 (17m)

Quarter Final Draw: To Be Played Wednesday, November 23
[1] Wen Li Lai (MAS) v Riya Navani (USA)
Anna Shumway (USA) v Mary Mijas (GUA)
[3] Erisa Sano Herring (JPN) v Risa Sugimoto (JPN)
[5] Maria Moya (ECU) v [2] Hannah Blatt (CAN)