Sania’s chance to conquer Calcutta

STEPHANIE SAMUEL

Sunitha Rao after a buggy ride organised for the players on Sunday. Picture by Gautam Bose Calcutta: The stage is set, the players are ready. It’s all systems go for the WTA Sunfeast Open that kicks off on Monday at the recently renovated Netaji Indoor Stadium. A week-long electrifying show — to be played on imported Greenset hardcourts — is in store, with some of the biggest stars on display. And none bigger than our very own Sania Mirza, who has managed the impossible by directing this cricket-crazy country’s attention to another sport. The tight security around her because of the controversy over her on-court dress code may prove to be a damper, but obviously no one, least of all the state government, is willing to take any chances. The high-profile meet — the second WTA tournament in the country after the Hyderabad Open which is three editions old — is being touted as one of south Asia’s biggest events with a prize money of $1,70,000. The 32-strong field will see two top-20 players — world No. 13 and former French Open champion Anastasia Myskina and world No. 16 Elena Likhovtseva — in action. Other international offering includes world No. 127 Nicole Pratt of Australia, winner of the Hyderabad Open in 2004; Italians Maria Elena Camerin (72), who lost to Sania in the second round of the US Open, and Antonella Serra Zanetti (78). Thai Tamarine Tanasugarn is also in the fray. Top seed Myskina, who hasn’t won a title this year, begins against Romania’s Edina Gallovits (125), and cannot meet Sania until the final, should they both make it that far. For Myskina, a former world No. 2, a triumph in Sania territory should propel her back into the top-10. World No. 1 doubles player Spaniard Virginia Ruano Pascual, meanwhile, will be teaming up with Sania in doubles. All eyes, however, will be on the talented, tenacious, aggressive and fiery Sania. Tennis’ newest glam girl has had a dream run this year, rising meteorically from 206 at the end of 2004 to 34 in the world, beating her own deadline of making it to the top-50 by three months. Playing at home may just prove to be a catalyst and an obviously partisan crowd might just push her all the way to a second career title — she won the Hyderabad Open in February. Not that she will have an easy run to the final. The first two rounds might be a breeze, but after that the going will get tough. She will begin her campaign on Tuesday against Japanese qualifier Junri Namigata, who booked her place in the main draw with a 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-4 win over Chinese Taipei’s Su-Wei Hsieh. Sania should get past her, and next up will be the winner of the match between Argentine Ma Emilia Salerni and Hungarian Melinda Czink. Salerni, 103 in the world, refused to comment on the potential match-up with the Indian, saying she was “focused on her first match. I’ve never played Sania before, so I can’t comment. Let me get to the second round, then I will speak about meeting her.” If Sania makes it to the last four, a match-up with Likovtseva seems likely, but before that she may be troubled by Karolina Sprem. The Slovak girl is ranked below her, but is known for her giant-killing ways. Sania, of course, will be looking to cock a snook at her critics, who continue to revile her serve and the fact that she commits too many unforced errors, by going the full distance here. The other Indian in the main draw hoping to steal Sania’s thunder is Shikha Uberoi (151), who is up against Japan’s Ryoko Fuda (185) in the first round. Sister Neha (248), a wild card entrant who plays for the US, will kick off her campaign on Monday against Sunitha Rao (161), another American of Indian origin. The winner of this match is likely to face Likovtseva next. Two other Indians made it to the main draw: Rushmi Chakravarthy and Ankita Bhambri, who won their respective final-round qualifiers on Sunday. While Rushmi outclassed Chin-Wei Chan of Chinese Taipei 6-3, 7-5, Ankita battled her way past countrywoman Isha Lakhani 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Ankita is slated to meet Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi in the first round on Monday. Sister Sanaa, however, failed to qualify, losing 1-6, 4-6 to Chia-Jung Chuang of Chinese Taipei.