Sep 17: Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza is doubtful starter for the $ 1,75,000 WTA Sunfeast Open, which gets underway in Kolkata today, as the mystery looming over the organisers of the tournament keeping them at bay.
The Hyderabadi crowd puller is nursing with a wrist injury in her right hand since US Open that needs some rest. The injury aggravated a lot in the last two weeks. She hasn't ‘hit a ball' after her third-round US Open loss to Russian Anna Chakvetadze.
Putting an end to all speculation, Indian Tennis star Sania Mirza reached at Kolkata airport on Sunday night and said “She would only take the final decision on playing in Sunfeast Open after practising on Monday”.
The third edition for the weeklong tier-III event stands a class apart from the earlier two editions going by the entry list. The tourneys in the previous two editions had as top seeds players who were a clear title favourite, it was the Russian girl Anastasia Myskina in the inaugural year while last year it was Swiss Miss Martina Hingis
In contrast, there are no clear favourites this time with top seed Marion Bartoli of France and second seeded Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia are heading neck to neck in WTA rankings. While Wimbledon runner-up Bartoli is given 10 th seed, Hantuchova occupies the 12th position.
Sania, who lost to Hingis in the semi-final here last year, is drawn against the US-based Indian Sunitha Rao in the opening round. A fascinating sidelight is that Rao had won the only match between the two five years back in Mumbai. However, much water has flown in the river since then.
If Sania decides to pull out, 22-year-old Sunitha would have a relatively easy opponent in a lucky loser from the qualifier, who would replace the fancied Indian and If Sania unfolds the mystery really late then Sunitha could well be having a first-round bye.
Sunitha, however, said she would rather play Sania to test her skills. "I would prefer facing Sania and see where my game stands," she said.
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