Mumbai, Jan 30 (IANS): Players from 31 countries will be seen in action at the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) and Cricket Club of India (CCI)-organised Mumbai Open Tennis Championships, which returns to the tennis calendar after a gap of six years.
This is the third edition of the WTA Mumbai Open with past singles champions including world No 2 Aryna Sabalenka (2017) and Thailand's Luksika Kumkhum (2018).
An exciting line-up at the third edition of the tournament will include three top 100 players in the singles and six top 100 players in the doubles event, which is a part of the WTA $125K series.
The tournament will be played at the newly-laid tennis courts at the Cricket Club of India. Qualifying matches will be played starting February 3 and 4 while the main draw action will start on February 5. The finals will be played on February 11.
American Kayla Day, the 2016 US Open girls singles champion and world No. 82, will lead the 32-player field, along with Japan's Nao Hibino, winner of three WTA Tour singles titles, and former French Open semifinalist Tamara Zidansek, ranked 97th in the world.
Other players in the field include American Katie Volynets, Australians Arina Rodionova and Kimberly Birrell and Brazil's Laura Pigossi.
Sixteen-year-old Russian Alina Korneeva, who was the top-ranked junior in the world last year, and reached the third round of the 2024 Australian Open women's singles event just 12 months after winning the girls singles title, will also be seen in action in Mumbai.
India's top-ranked doubles player Prarthana Thombare and Dutch partner Arianne Hartono have a direct entry into the doubles event. Wild cards for the tournament are expected to be announced in the coming days.
"We are delighted to bring back world class tennis to Mumbai after a gap of a few years. The WTA Mumbai Open has attracted some big names and rising stars in the past, including two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, who won her first WTA $125K title right here in Mumbai in 2017," Sanjay Khandare and Pravin Darade, both IAS and members of the Organising Committee said.
"We have a strong field this year as well with the likes of Kayla Day, Nao Hibino and Tamara Zidansek in the field as well as the rising Russian Alina Korneeva. We hope tennis fans in Mumbai will come out in flocks to support the players and the tournament," they added.