Nagpur heat forces 3 players to retire on day 2 Three players withdrew from their matches during the ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour in Nagpur on Wednesday due to the extreme heat. The incident occurred on the second day of the tournament at the NDHTA courts in Ram Nagar. Among those retiring were Netherlands’ Emma Van Poppel, Nepal’s Abhilasha Bista, and India’s seventh-seeded Akanksha Nitture. The intense afternoon temperatures disrupted their performance, leading to their early exits. Despite the heat, experienced players like fourth-seeded Ankita Raina and third-ranked Zeel Desai advanced without difficulty. Raina, seeded fourth, defeated compatriot Soha Sadiq in straight sets (6-3, 6-4), showcasing her composure under pressure. Desai also progressed smoothly, defeating A Easwaramurthi 6-2, 6-2 to secure her place in the pre-quarterfinals. The day saw an unexpected upset as wild card Kashish Bhatia stunned higher-ranked Bela Tamkhankar with a 6-1, 6-2 victory. Bhatia will now face Madhurima Sawant, who overcame Nitture’s early retirement. Nitture retired in the second set after trailing 0-2, allowing Sawant to advance. Sawant won the first set 7-6 (6) against Nitture. Sonal Patil also contributed to the heat-related retirements, forcing Van Poppel to withdraw after winning the first set 6-4. Patil led 4-0 in the second set when Van Poppel retired. Meanwhile, the Netherlands’ Emma and Ekaterina Khodzhaeva opted for a walkover against the India-Malaysia pair Pooja Ingale and Elsa Wan in the women’s doubles opening round. Abhilasha Bista retired against Germany’s A Kuparev in the second set (1-1) after losing the first set 0-6. In the women’s singles pre-quarterfinals, top seed Vaishnavi Adkar will face Ksenia Laskutova, while second seed Zhibek Kulambayuva will take on Pooja Ingale.#nagpur #ram_nagar #itf_women_s_world_tennis_tour #ndhta_courts #akanksha_nitture
Hookah Parlour at Ram Nagar Restaurant Busted Nagpur police conducted a raid on a restaurant in Ram Nagar, uncovering an illegal hookah parlour operating under the guise of a café. The operation, carried out on Friday night, led to the registration of cases against five individuals, including the establishment’s owner. The accused include Brijesh Pal (35) from WCL Colony, Prakash Khadka (28) from New Colony, Sujal Mendhe (21) from Ambazari Tekdi, Uday Yadav (23) from Godhni, and Suraj Gajbhiyye (23) from Ambazari Tekdi. The raid was initiated after intelligence indicated the premises were serving hookah to customers. During the operation, police found patrons engaged in hookah consumption and seized prohibited tobacco products along with hookah equipment. The action was part of a broader effort to dismantle illegal hookah parlours that operate within restaurants and cafés, which authorities claim have proliferated in the city. The raid was supervised by DCP Nityanand Jha, with senior officers such as Vinod Godbole, Rajesh Lohi, Baljit Thakur, Kamlesh Naneer, and Pravin Lokhande involved in the enforcement. The police emphasized that the operation targeted establishments that circumvent regulations by disguising their activities as legitimate businesses. This case highlights ongoing efforts to curb the illegal trade of hookah, which is often linked to health risks and regulatory violations. The arrests and seizures underscore the authorities’ commitment to enforcing laws against unlicensed operations that pose threats to public health and safety.#nagpur_police #ram_nagar #brijesh_pal #prakash_khadka #sujal_mendhe
