MSLTA, CCI to host fourth edition of Mumbai Open WTA 125K series event in Feb

Mumbai, Jan 21 The talented and upcoming players from across the globe will be seen in action at the fourth edition of the Mumbai Open, which will be organised by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) and will be held at the Cricket Club of India (CCI).

The tournament will commence on February 1 with the qualifying round, the main draw will begin on February 3 with the finals scheduled on February 9 at the CCI.

Among the top names involved in the WTA 125 tournament is Tatjana Maria, who is ranked 89 in the world, and will be looking to clinch her fourth singles title in her career. The right-handed Tatjana has achieved a career-high ranking of 42 after reaching a Wimbledon semi-final as the sixth female player in the Open Era over the age of 34 in 2022. She has also won the 2023 and 2024 Copa Colsanitas WTA 250 Event in Colombia on clay.

Along with her, Rebecca Marino from Canada, with a world rank of 98 will headline the singles draw. She achieved her highest WTA singles ranking of world No. 38 in 2011, and will be gunning for her second WTA singles title. In November 2024, she won the Dow Tennis Classic in the USA on a hard court.

Spain’s Nuria Parrizas-Diaz (World Rank 104) has been ranked as high as world no. 45 in her career, and has won three WTA Challenger titles in her career. Parrizas-Diaz, who overcame a lengthy battle with a career-threatening shoulder injury in 2016, had some of her best results on the hard courts. Nuria started the year on a strong note having reached the semi-final of the WTA 125 Canberra International and will be hoping to build on her momentum in Mumbai.

2024 Mumbai Open champion Latvian Darja Semenistaja, who currently holds a rank of 120, will also be back to defend her crown. In a well-fought final, Semenistaja had defeated the Australian Storm Hunter 5–7, 7-6, (8-6), 6–2. Harriet Dart (World Rank 113) previously played a Wimbledon mixed doubles final in 2021 and helped Great Britain reach the semi-finals of the Billie Jean King Cup in 2022 and 2024. Not alien to the courts in Mumbai, Dart is aiming for her first WTA 125 title ever.

Among the future stars, the 19-year-old Alexandra Eala of Philippines, who has been selected by Rafael Nadal to train at his academy, is also one to watch out for. Ranked 138, Alexandra has won one singles and two doubles Junior Grand Slams and is the highest-ranked Filipino player ever.

She had an early crash out in the Australian Open this year but will be hoping to bounce back at the L&T Mumbai Open in February. Petra Marcinko Former World No. 1 Junior from Croatia and a former Australian Junior Double crown winner is one of the young guns to have entered the event

Ranked 133, Jil Teichmann, who has secured two singles and two doubles titles on the WTA Tour, in addition to one WTA 125 doubles title, will also be competing in the tournament. Former World No. 1 in doubles and nine-time Grand Slam champion in doubles, Kristina Mladenovic will also be seen in action. In her prime, Mladenovic was ranked World No. 10 in singles but is currently ranked 215 and will be hoping to do well and improve her ranking in Mumbai.

Sanjay Khandare and Pravin Darade, both IAS officers and Core members of the Organising Committee, said that it will be an exciting week of tennis for fans in Mumbai.

"We are delighted to open our doors for the L&T Mumbai Open for a fourth time. After a fantastic three editions in the previous years, we are looking forward to witnessing riveting contests throughout the week.

"Mumbai is the city of dreams, and the fans always make it special for the players who come here, and we are confident of more of the same this season too. The courts at CCI have played host to some of the top names, and we are confident that this year will be an eventful one as well,” they said.

The Mumbai Open which made a comeback after a span of six years in 2024, witnessed some exciting contests last year. While the outdoor hard-court tournament was won by the Latvian Darja Semeņistaja in the singles draw, the doubles crown went to the pair of Dalila Jakupovic and Sabrina Santamaria.

This is the fourth edition of the Mumbai Open with past singles champions including world No. 2 Sabalenka (2017) and Thailand's Luksika Kumkhum (2018).

Source: IANS