Tamarine Tanasugarn from Thailand will spear-head the challenge in the $50000 NECC-ITF Women’s Championships that begin at the Deccan Gymkhana here from November 16.
The former world No. 19 will be accompanied by likes of Masa Zev-Peskiric (Slovakia), Ksenia Palkina (Krygystan), Bojana Jovanaovski (Serbia) and Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand. Nopawan was crowned as the Junior Girls’ Wimbledon Champion in 2009, will also one of the attractions in the biggest prize money contest in the state.
Thailand has both the youngest and the oldest player in the main draw. Noppawan is the youngest (16-year-old), while Tanasugarn is thirty-two. Pujashree Venkatesh is the lone Indian entry, the organisers said. Hosts’ challenge in the championship could increase only after the qualifying rounds as there are four in the fray to make the cut.
“The minimum Indian participants could be four and the maximum can go to five. It all depends on their role on the qualifying rounds,” said Jaydeep Date. Date told the DNA that this championship, which has doubled the prize money, has players coming from 17 different countries.
“It was the move by the All India Tennis Association, who with the foresight of the CWG, had requested to increase the prize money, so that it would give some exposure for the our players,” Date added.
