KOLKATA, India (AFP) - India's Sania Mirza, who made the fourth round of the recent US Open, will be the focus of attention in a WTA tournament starting here on Monday.Mirza has been seeded third in the event behind Russians Anastasia Myskina and Elena Likhovtseva in the tier III event, which is being billed as the biggest in the region.
It is seldom that an Indian ranks among the favourites for such a tournament but expectations are high of 34th-ranked Mirza, who won her maiden WTA title in her home town of Hyderabad earlier this year.
The teenager, a picture of confidence, admitted however that the upcoming tournament would be tougher than the one she won.
"This will be a lot more difficult than it was in Hyderabad, but let's hope for the best. I will concentrate hard and play my natural game," said Mirza, who has an easy draw till the semi-final stage.
She will play a qualifier in the first round on Tuesday and then take on much lower-ranked opponents before a possible semi-final encounter with second seeded Likhovtseva.
Three Americans of Indian origin, Shikha and Neha Uberoi and Sunitha Rao, will also be seen in action in the main draw.
Seventh seed Karolina Sprem of Croatia, doubles' world number one player Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain and Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn are the other crowd-pullers.
The seedings
1. Anastasia Myskina (RUS)
2. Elena Likhovtseva (RUS)
3. Sania Mirza (IND)
4. Maria Elena Camerin (ITA)
5. Antonella Serra Zanetti (ITA)
6. Laura Pous Tio (ESP)
7. Karolina Sprem (CRO)
8. Rika Fujiwara (JPN)
Monday, September 19, 2005
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