Ankita, Sahaja awarded wild cards; $100,000 ITF Open begins next week
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Bengaluru: India’s leading players Ankita Raina (In picture above) and Sahaja Yamalapalli were awarded wild cards into the main draw of the $100,000 KPB Trust ITF Open that begins at the KSLTA courts here on January 21.
Raina, India’s top-ranked player who is currently playing the ITF event in New Delhi, and Sahaja, who is already in the Garden City gearing up for the event, will lead the hosts’ charge at the biggest-ever ITF World Tennis Tour event in the country.
“It’s very exciting to compete in the main draw at a 100k event at home,” said Sahaja after the wild card announcement on Wednesday. “I have had opportunities in the past to play at bigger events and almost all of them were outside India. So, I am very happy and excited to take part in such a big event at home,” added the 24-Year-old.
Besides Ankita and Sahaja, two more wild cards will be announced soon, while eight players will come through the qualifiers in the 32-player draw. Twenty players have got a direct entry into the event that carries an enhanced purse (a huge hike from last edition’s $40,000) with the winner taking home $15,239 besides the 100 ranking points.
The qualifying rounds will be held on January 19 and 20 and the main draw will begin on January 21.
Wild cards: Main draw: Ankita Raina, Sahaja Yamalapalli.
Qualifying draw: Rutuja Bhosale, Zeel Desai.
– Team Mysoorunews
Mysooru News
