The Hindu : Sport : ITF Challenger from today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 10, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport

ITF Challenger from today

Special Correspondent

Indians Isha, Rushmi, Ankita and Shikha get wild cards
Only Sunitha Rao has been able to gain direct entry

NEW DELHI: There may be two WTA Tour events being held in India every year in recent times, but a $50,000 women’s tournament is being hosted at home after many years.

The Indian women have all along been shouting hoarse to have more Challengers at the lower level so that they can step into the bigger league, but had only experienced a ‘step-motherly’ treatment so far.

Thanks to the Commonwealth Games being hosted here in 2010, the government has pledged its support for Indian sports in an unusual fashion, and the All India Tennis Association (AITA) has been able to go ahead with its programme of having at least six Challengers each for men and women every year.

Glaring question

While it is a healthy exercise to have such tournaments to help the Indian girls bridge world standards, the glaring question that crops up is where are the Indians who can capitalise on such events.

After the 32nd ranked Sania Mirza, who is busy in the big league, the rest of the Indian women struggle to get into such Challengers on the strength of their ranking.

Even here, only the U.S-based Sunitha Rao has been able to gain direct entry and has been seeded seventh.

The wild cards have gone to Isha Lakhani, Rushmi Chakravarthi, Ankita Bhambri and the U.S.-based Shikha Uberoi who is languishing at an unflattering 989.

Discouraging part

The discouraging part was that only Sanaa Bhambri could make it to the second round of the qualifying event, from among nine Indian girls, before making a meek bow to the 457th ranked Montinee Tangphong of Thailand 6-2, 6-1.

There are only 16 Indian girls who have WTA rankings at the moment. While Tara Iyer, who won a series of singles titles at home and abroad in the $10,000 ITF women’s circuit last season, is recovering from an abdomen injury, girls like Sandhya Nagaraj and Prerna Mythri are busy trying their luck in tournaments in Spain and Nigeria respectively.

Difficult proposition

In such a scenario, it is going to be difficult for three Indians who run into seeded players in the first round or for Ankita, who faces the the 212th ranked Ivana Lisjak of Croatia.

Only Shikha starts against a qualifier and that too may not be easy, as the qualifier will have the advantage of three matches behind her in the given conditions. Sunitha will open her campaign against Ksneia Palkina of Kyrgyzstan.

In any case, it may be a reality check for the Indians before the $25,000 event next week at Greater Noida.

The seedings: 1. Andreja Klepac (Slo), 2. Mathilde Johansson (Fra), 3. Vesna Manasieva (Rus), 4. Yanina Wickmayer (Bel), 5. Margit Ruutel (Est), 6. Chanelle Scheepers (RSA), 7. Sunitha Rao, 8. Naomi Cavaday (GBR).

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport