Mirza have points to prove in Kolkata tournament

Former world number one Martina Hingis and Indian star Sania Mirza have been drawn to meet in the semifinals of the 175,000-dollar WTA tournament starting here on Monday.Top-seeded Swiss player Hingis, who in 1996 had become the youngest
Wimbledon champion at the age of 15 years and nine months, has an important assignment at hand in a bid to recapture old glory.

Fifth seed Mirza, who will turn 20 in November, faces pressure of a different kind in front of a home crowd as she looks to bounce back after seeing her rankings fall to 70 from 31 last year.

World number nine Hingis's first round opponent will be Hungarian Melinda Czink, who had a couple of good WTA outings recently while Mirza is lucky to be playing a qualifier in the opening match.

Other prominent names in the field include Karolina Sprem of Croatia, Nicole Pratt of Australia and Estonian Kaia Kanepi.

Second-seeded Sprem has an easy draw till the quarter-finals, where she has the chance to meet eighth seed Anastassia Rodionova of Russia.

Third seed Yuliana Fedak of Ukraine may have an easy ride till the semi-finals where she may face seventh seed Pratt.

The seedings:

1. Martina Hingis (SUI)

2. Karolina Sprem (CRO)

3. Yuliana Fedak (UKR)

4. Aravane Rezai (FRA)

5. Sania Mirza (IND)

6. Kaia Kanepi ((EST)

7. Nicole Pratt (AUS)

8. Anastassia Rodionova (RUS)