News

For the second consecutive week, Prerna Bhambri enjoys top billing when the RGUHS Kalaburagi ITF Open, a $10,000 Women’s tennis tournament, main draw begins here from Monday. The Rajeev Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka have come forward to sponsor the event that has Natasha Palha retaining her second seeding while Druthi Tatachar, Prarthna Thombare, Sharmadaa Baluu move up a rank in the tournament with last week’s No 3 seed Snehadevi Reddy not entering this event.

Having reached the final of last week’s tournament at the same Chandrashekar Patil Stadium, Riya Bhatia is now seeded No 8. Bhambri will be looking for her fourth title of the year and chasing a hat-trick at Kalaburagi. The Delhi player won the 2012 ITF event here and followed it up by winning last week’s title on Saturday.

Karman Kaur Thandi, the 17-year-old who fell early due to fever, while expected to do well last week, will seek to make headway this week and so will the US based student Kanika Vaidya who made it to the quarters before losing to eventual winner Bhambri. Prerna Bhambri takes on China’s Xi-Yao Wang while Natasha will clash with qualifier Sai Dedeepaya Yeddula in the first round of the tournament.

In disheartening news for followers of the game Karman Kaur Thandi will take on US based Kanika Vaidya in their opening round. The duo was crowd favourites at last week’s event until they bowed out. Prerna Bhambri faces some opposition in the top half of the draw taking on either Karman or Kanika. The top 16 also has No 3 seed Druthi Tatachar, No.5 Sharmadaa Baluu and No 6 Nidhi Chilumula.

In comparison Natasha has a fairly easy way till the quarters where she could meet last week’s finalist Riya Bhatia. Four seeds will be seen in action on day one. No 2, Natasha , No. four Prarthana Thombare, No 6 Nidhi Chilumula and No 8 Riya Bhatia play their first round matches on Monday. First set of matches start at 9.30 am.

QUALIFIERS SPOTTED.

With no foreign contestants in the qualifying rounds of the tournament, eight Indians made it to the main draw. Sahan Shetty played the shortest of matches recording a 6-0,6-1 victory to lead seven others. Sindhu Janagam, Aastha Dargude, Bhargavi Nitin Mangudkar, Simran Kejriwal, Anusha Kondaveeti, Pragati Solankar and Sai Dedeepya Yeddula entered the main draw by virtue of winning their second and final qualifying round matches.