Asian Games bronze-medallist Ankita Raina is the one Indian to have acquired a direct entry within the upcoming ITF Women’s Open, set to be hosted by the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association in Bengaluru from January 14. Runner-up from the final version and ranked 208th in singles, she options in the principle draw checklist that has 20 direct entries, together with 4 wild playing cards and eight qualifiers. As for the Indians, there might be as many as 9 of them within the singles most important draw, with 4 of them being handed the wild playing cards for the principle draw, whereas 5 of them could be enjoying the qualifiers between January 14-15.

Among the wild-card Indian entries are native skills Soha Sadiq (singles rating 823) and Suhita Maruri (singles rating 1,239).

Darja Semenistaja of Latvia, ranked 143rd within the singles, is the highest-ranked competitor within the occasion.

It would be the third version of the event and can be performed beneath lights for the primary time, with the finals set to be performed on January 21.

The competitors has a prize cash of USD 40,000, with the winner additionally set to obtain 50 WTA factors.

Speaking on the competitors, KSLTA Vice-President and Karnataka’s IT BT & RDPR minister Priyank Kharge stated, “The KPB Trust ITF Women’s Open not only celebrates athletic excellence but also serves as a crucial stepping stone for Indian players, who gain a home advantage as they compete on familiar turf.” “The event has played a pivotal role in nurturing local talent, and contributing to the growth of women’s tennis in our nation and creating top-class athletes.” “This event is extremely important for us as it’s one of the few ITF W50 events in the world, and we welcome the sporting ambassadors from 21 countries to come and experience the hospitality of Bengaluru, which is in pursuit of becoming the global sporting destination,” he concluded.

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