FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Victorious Luksika aims at bigger win after Mumbai 125K title

Victorious Luksika aims at bigger win after Mumbai 125K title

Luksika Kumkhum has set her sights fixed on bigger prizes after capturing her first WTA 125K series title, the Mumbai Open, on Sunday.

Victorious Luksika aims at bigger win after Mumbai 125K title
 The 25-year-old Thai No1 recovered from a sluggish first set to beat Irina Khromacheva of Russia 1-6 6-2 6-3 in one hour and 47 minutes and secure her biggest title to date.
 The 125K event is not considered a real WTA title, however, and is comparable to the challenger category on the men’s tour. 
The Chanthaburi-based Luksika says her next goal is to win a fifth-tier WTA International event, which offers minimum overall prizemoney of US$250,000.
 “I hope this win won’t be my my last. And I hope I can win bigger,” Luksika told The Nation on Monday during a brief stopover in Thailand before leaving that night for her next tournament in China.
 So far, Tamarine Tanasugarn is the only Thai to win a WTA tour event, in Hyderabad, India, in 2003.
Luksika, who has now reached a career-best world No80, is confident she has what it takes to emulate Tamarine. Her best WTA finishes so far are three semi-finals, including the Korea Open last year.
 “Winning in India made me feel relieved that I was also able to win in a big event,” Luksika, who plans to enter more events in Europe and in the US next year as she is now in the top 80. “I still plan to play for at least five more years, so it should be long enough for me to win some more. It’s just a matter of time. 
“I will basically play in Asia but will try to play in other parts of he world too. But I have to be selective about my plan as I don’t want to go so far only to lose in the first rounds. 
“This is something I need to work on with my coach [Subin Srich-aen],” she added. 
Luksika has two more events left this year: in Shenzen this week and Taiwan next week.

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