7 months ago
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When Linda Fruhvirtova of Czechia won the WTA 250 Chennai Open arsenic a 17-year-old successful the twelvemonth 2022, she wasn’t the favourite by a distance. Unseeded, Linda enactment it crossed Magda Linette of Poland, seeded three, successful an breathtaking three-set final.
Returning to the aforesaid tournament, which is being held aft a spread of 3 years, the 20-year-old defending champion knows the fickle quality of the athletics astatine the highest level.
Speaking astatine the gully ceremonial present connected Saturday, Linda, who volition look Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany successful the archetypal round, said, “It’s besides the past tourney of the season. Some girls mightiness beryllium bushed oregon the opposite, adjacent much motivated. And the upwind present tin beryllium utmost and it each depends connected the peculiar day. Many times, we person seen qualifiers oregon unseeded players having large runs.”
Vijay Amritraj, the erstwhile Indian tennis great, described the main draw, which begins astatine the SDAT-Nungambakkam Stadium present connected Monday, arsenic open. “It comes down to the day’s performance. Obviously, upwind volition play a role, depending connected however matches progress,” helium said.
Germany’s Tatjana Maria, who was the apical seed, has pulled retired without specifiying immoderate reason. In her absence, Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey (World ranked 69) has been fixed the apical billing successful the singles main draw.
Indian wildcard entrants, Maaya Rajeshwaran and Shrivalli Bhamidipaty volition look each different successful the opening round. India’s No. 1 Sahaja Yamalapalli, a chaotic paper entry, volition instrumentality connected a qualifier successful the archetypal round. Alastair Garland, Managing Director of Octagon, the licence holder of the Chennai Open, said, “It’s our volition to support the tourney here.”
Maaya Rajeshwaran | Photo Credit: R. Ravindran
On taking connected her Indian counterpart Shrivalli connected Monday, Maaya said: “I deliberation she’s idiosyncratic each Indian inferior has looked up to. I person personally known her not lone arsenic a player, arsenic a idiosyncratic arsenic well. It’s an acquisition to play against her.”
