Mumbai, Jan 31 (IANS) The stage is set for the fifth edition of the Mumbai Open WTA 125K Series as the main draw ceremony was held in Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) on Saturday, officially confirming first-round match-ups for the tournament, which will be played from February 2 to 8.
The main draw ceremony was attended by Indian wild card recipients Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi and Vaishnavi Adkar, along with India’s doubles player Rutuja Bhosale.
Also present were MSLTA secretary Sunder Iyer, joint secretary Nikhil Sampath, and India’s Billie Jean King Cup coach Radhika Tulpule.
Indian players will be firmly in the spotlight when the main draw action begins on February 2, with several homegrown talents set to take on strong international opposition.
India’s No.1 women’s singles star Sahaja Yamalapalli will face Japan’s Eri Shimizu.
Wild card entrant Shrivalli Bhamidipaty will face a qualifier in the opening round, while Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi, also a wild card recipient, has been drawn against Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee.
Maharashtra’s No.1 singles player Vaishnavi Adkar will clash against Austria’s Lilli Tagger. Another Indian Wild Card, Vaidehee Chaudhari, will open her campaign against third seed Leolia Jeanjean of France.
Reflecting on her approach heading into the tournament, last edition’s semi finalist Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi said, “Last year I came in with no expectations and I didn’t have any problem with that, and I’m going to do the same this year. I’m still young and still developing physically and mentally. For me, it’s about getting better every day, staying fit, being injury-free and just doing my best.”
Highlighting the importance of the tournament in the Indian tennis calendar, MSLTA secretary Sunder Iyer said, “It’s important for us to conduct this tournament at this time of the year because this event helps us identify players we should be looking at for future International tournaments. This year is also important with the Asian Games coming up, and the Indian team for the Asian Games will be selected. The ranking points earned here remain with the players for the full year, which is why February is the chosen month. The weather in Mumbai is excellent at this time, and I would like to thank the MSLTA management for allowing us to use this fantastic federation facility, which has been converted into a stadium. On behalf of MSLTA, I welcome everyone.”
–IANS
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