Mandya, a city famous for producing sugarcane, is set to host the ITF Mandya Open from January 7th to 14. This tournament is an important milestone in Indian sports as international tennis returns to Mandya after a gap of eight years. The last time Mandya hosted an international tennis event was in May 2015, with previous events being held in 2012 and 2010.
During a media interaction, Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association Secretary Maheshwar Rao said, “It is our endeavour to develop and grow the sport of tennis across the state. We hope that events like these will benefit the local players while giving small towns an international exposure.”
Several top tennis players from different nations are set to compete in the Mandya Open. In total, the tournament will host players from eighteen different countries. Eric Vanshelboim, Kris van Wyk, Giles Hussey, Thomas Fancutt, and India’s Sasikumar Mukund are the top five players at the upcoming Mandya Open.
Another important player in this tournament will be India’s Davis Cup inductee, SD Prajwal Dev. The 27-year-old is one of the five Indian players to directly qualify for the tournament. 32 players will compete in the main draw of the singles competition whereas 16 pairs will fight for the doubles title. The ITF Mandya Open boasts a prize pool of USD 25,000.
Varun Anand Bhat | The Sportz Planet
