Bigger field offers better platform for Indian women players
With the main draw featuring 48 players, it is a much needed opportunity for fringe players to compete in the $40,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament being staged at the Ahmedabad Tennis Foundation courts from Tuesday.
With the top 16 players getting a bye in the first round in a draw of 64, Ankita Raina, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty and Vaidehi Chaudhari get to conserve their energy, among the Indian players.
Anjali Rathi infused more life into the ranks as she beat second seed Maria Kalyakkina 7-6(1), 6-2 in the second and final qualifying round. She will play Weronika Ewald of Poland in the first round of the main event.
Akanksha Nitture, Humera Baharmus, Sonal Patil and Smriti Bhasin were the other Indian players to qualify for the main draw.
Indian women’s tennis would aspire to churn out quality from quantity as 18 players try to play their best game for a collective progress.
With the top eight players spearheaded by Arina Rodionova of Australia and Carlota Cirez of Spain figuring in the top-300 of world ranking, the rest of the field would get a thorough reality check about the quality of its game.
Overall, it should be an entertaining week of tennis that would possibly serve as a good preparation for the Indian team in the run up to the Billie Jean King Cup Asia-Oceania event scheduled to be held in Pune in April.
The seedings: 1. Arina Rodionova (Aus), 2. Carlota Cirez (Esp), 3. Ekaterina Makarova, 4. Mei Yamaguchi (Jpn), 5. Haruka Kaji (Jpn), 6. Amandine Hesse (Fra), 7. Ankita Raina, 8. Maria Tkacheva.
Published – February 24, 2025 07:04 pm IST
