Sania to partner world's top doubles player in Kolkata

Tennis sensation Sania Mirza would be partnering the world's number one ranked women's doubles player Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain in the September 19-26 Sunfeast Open tournament to be played at Kolkata's Netaji Indoor Stadium.

The Spaniard is the winner of three WTA Tour singles crowns and 34 doubles titles that includes three French Opens, one Australian Open and as many US Opens (on the trot) and has earned an aggregate prize money of US dollar 4,218,340.

Pascual has confirmed her participation in the doubles event of the tournament and would be paired with Sania, a media release said today.

Sania had a splendid run in the US Open women's singles before being stopped in the last 16 by world's number two woman player Maria Sharapova of Russia.

"Sania's fantastic performance at the US Open 2005 has been successful in impressing and achieving international acclaim. Virginia's decision to partner Sania for doubles draw at Sunfeast Open just goes to prove this point," said men's doubles Grand Slam champion Mahesh Bhupathi.

"The duo would make a good combination where experience would join hands with fresh talent and sincerity to excel," Bhupathi, the MD of event organisers Globosport, added.

Tournament director and former Indian Davis Cup star Jaidip Mukherjea also welcomed the pairing of Pascual with Sania by saying, "it doesn't get bigger than this. We have managed to get the women's world no. 1 player in doubles to partiipate".