ITF women's tournament: Zeel Desai looks forward to compete at home

The four-week series will move from the clay courts of Jhajjar, to the hard courts in Gurugram, Ahmedabad and Nagpur.

Zeel Desai in action.

It will be a bright chance for the Indian players headed by national champion Zeel Desai to gather useful WTA points in the ITF women’s tennis circuit starting at the Joygaon Academy on Tuesday.

The four-week series will move from the clay courts of Jhajjar, to the hard courts in Gurugram, Ahmedabad and Nagpur.

Top seed Zeel conceded that she was playing on clay after a long time, but was looking forward to "competing at home’’.

"The preparation has been good. I am looking forward to doing well over the next four weeks’’, said Zeel, who will open against qualifier Anjali Rathi.

 

Anna Ureke of Russia and Punnin Kovapitukted of Thailand, the second and third seeds, apart from Elena Jamshidi of Denmark, will try to assert their game ahead of the flock of Indian players.

In the qualifying event, the Indian players grabbed all the six slots, ahead of playes from Australia and US, with Sandeepti Singh Rao standing out with her performance. Ishwari Matere and Anjali Rathi won the super tie-break in the third and final round to make the cut.

With the warmth of the weather improving, there should be bright tennis this week on clay, a surface that will scrutinise the technique of the players.

The results:Qualifying singles (third and final round): Ishwari Matere bt Prathiba Narayan 6-2, 2-6, [10-2]; Sandeepti Singh Rao bt Niditra Rajmohan 7-6(4), 6-0; Smriti Bhasin bt Jane Haeusler (Aus) 6-3, 6-3; Avishka Gupta bt Sonashe bhatnagar 6-4, 6-3; Yubarani Banerjee bt Sudipta Kumar 6-4, 6-3; Anjali Rathi bt Vanshika Chaudhary 1-6, 6-3, [10-3]. Second round: Prathiba bt Sienna Jensen (Aus) 7-6(1), 6-1; Ishwari bt Shanu Agarwal 6-1, 6-3; Niditra bt Renee Singh 6-4, 7-5; Sandeepti bt Riya Uboveja 4-6, 6-0, [10-2]; Smriti bt Ritu Ohlyan 6-4, 7-5; Jane bt Dakshata Patel 6-4, 6-4; Sonashe bt Shefali Arora 6-3, 6-3; Avishka bt Sanya Yadav 6-1, 6-2; Yubarani bt Sachi Sharma 6-2, 6-1; Sudipta bt Kavya Khirwar 4-6, 7-6(3), [10-8]; Vanshika bt Kashish Bhatia 6-7(5), 7-5, [10-6]; Anjali bt Sameeksha Shroff 6-1, 6-3. The seedings: 1. Zeel Desai, 2. Anna Ureke (Rus), 3. Punnin Kovapitukted (Tha), 4. Vaidehi Chaudhari, 5. Sathwika Sama, 6. Mihika Yadav, 7. Humera Baharmus, 8. Farhat Aleen Qamar.