Russian Ekaterina Makarova, world ranked 188, has been awarded the top billing in the IWTC-2023 ITF World Tennis Tour $40,000 Tournament (Shri Ganesh Naik’s Initiative) being organized by the Navi Mumbai Sports Association in association with Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) under the auspices of the ITF, AITA and to be played at the Ganesh Naik Tennis Complex here.
The other leading players include 196th ranked Moyuka Uchijima of Japan who is seeded second, while India’s Rutuja Bhosale ranked 328 has been seeded sixth.
The tournament director of the event Dr Dilip K. Rane, informed that the championships will offer total prize money of $40,000 (Rs 33,29,804). This will be the third ITF event in a row to be organised in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Solapur and the first $40,000 event. The event has attracted high level of participation having drawn the top women’s tennis players from 18 countries.
Apart from Asian Games mixed doubles Gold medallist Rutuja Bhosale Sahaja Yamlapalli, Vaidehi Chaudari, Zeel Desai and Shrivalli Rashmika Bhamidipathy are the Indian players in the Main Draw.
Upcoming youngsters Vaishnavi Adkar and Akansha Nitture of Navi Mumbai, Suhirtha Maruri of Telangana have been awarded wild cards for the Main draw by MSLTA and AITA.
Sunder Iyer, Hon Secretary MSLTA, said, “It is tribute to the event that has been continuously conducted for 10 years in a row. It’s an honour that former World No.10 Kristina Mladenovic of France will be seen in action at the event, which no Indian Player has won before, the event will be the last event on the ITF Calender and the points earned here will help the players to start the New Year with better rankings, I hope that Indian players will take advantage of this opportunity.”
While the winner will receive WTA 70 points and prize money of $ 6,094 (Rs.2,45,000/- approx), The runner-up will receive 42 WTA points and prize money of $3,257 (Rs.1,30,600/- approx), the semi-finalists will earn 25 points and prize money of $1789, the quarter-finalists will get 13 points and prize money of $1029 and the pre-quarter-finalist will receive 7 points and prize money of $624 points. The first round loser will receive 1 point and prize money of $370 totaling of $ 27957.
Hassan Samani of Iran will be the ITF referee of the event.
Following are the Singles Seedings: 1. Ekaterina Makarova (Rus,188), 2. Moyuka Uchijima (JPN, 196), 3. Kristina Mladenovic(FRA, 226), 4. Justina Mikulskyte(LTU, 259), 5. Sapfo Sakellaridi(GRE, 282), 6. Rutuja Bhosale(IND, 328), 7. Diana Marcinkevica(LAT, 343), 8. Sahaja Yamalapalli (IND, 408).
Doubles: 1. Diana Marcinkevica (LAT)/Sapfo Sakellaridi (GRE), 2. Ekaterina Maklakova/Ekaterina Yashina (RUS), 3. Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty/Vaidehi Chaudhari (IND), 4. Hiromi Abe/Saki Imamura(JPN).