Excitement is palpable in Kalaburagi after the ITF W35 main draw reveal on Monday. Five Indian players emerged from qualifiers into the singles lineup of this prestigious $30,000 tournament, signaling a powerhouse home challenge.
Key singles matchups include third seed Vaishnavi Adkar taking on Chevika Reddy Sama, fifth seed Jheel Desai versus a qualifier in the top half, and eighth seed Ankita Raina against Sonal Patil. Fourth seed Shrivali Rashmika Bhamidipati faces Evgenia Birdina, with second seed Anchisa opening against Allegra Korpanec Davis from Britain. Veterans and rising stars collide for early fireworks.
Doubles draw features top seeds Shrivali Rashmika Bhamidipati and Jasmin Gimbrere against Thai pair Anchisa Chanta and Thasaporn Naklo. Indian wildcards—Singdha Kanta and Harshini N Nagraj, Kashish Bhatia and Vanshita Pathania, Shrimanya Reddy Anugonda and Sai Sahitha Chamarti—add depth and opportunity for breakthroughs.
Monday’s qualifiers were a rollercoaster. Arunakumar Lakshmi Prabha clinched a 6-2, 3-6, 10-6 win over Maria Mikhailova. Singapore’s Eva Marie Desvignes routed Ahan Ahan 6-0, 6-1; Valeria Savinikh downed Soumya Ronde 6-4, 6-1; Kashish Bhatia triumphed 7-6(4), 6-0 against Mahika Khanna.
Upsets abounded: Aishwarya Jadhav ousted 16th seed Shrimanya Reddy Anugonda 6-3, 6-3; Sandipti Singh Rao beat Snigdha Kanta 6-4, 6-3; Lakshmishri survived Bela Tamhankar 7-5, 3-6, 14-12; Anna Sedysheva dismissed Yashaswini Panwar 6-4, 6-2.
This tournament blends international flair with Indian determination, poised for epic duels and potential glory for the hosts.