Kolkata - Sania Mirza will be seeded fourth in the WTA Tier III Sunfeat Open beginning here Sep 18 after her WTA ranking plummeted to 70.
Former World No 1 Martina Hingis, currently ranked at No 9 in the WTA lists, will lead the seedings in the 32-player draw.
Said Sunfeast Tournament Director Jaidip Mukherjea: ‘Going by the rankings she will be in all probability seeded fourth for Sunfeast Open. The official declaration of seedings will be given tomorrow.’
Sania, who was the third seed in last year’s edition of the tournament, will now be seeded behind the Swiss Miss, Croatian Karolina Sprem (50) and Ukrainian Yuliana Fedak (64).
Sania’s conqueror last September Hungarian Melinda Czink (84) will be seeded eighth.
The hard-hitting Hyderabadi’s second round exit had cast a dampener on the proceedings last year and she hopes to make amends this time round.
Sania, who created waves in the international circuit in 2005, with a series of scintillating performances to shot up into the 30s from a miserable 105, had an indifferent season this year, that saw her hurtling down to 70.
But the Indian tennis sensational seemed unfazed even after she found herself down 16 places from No 54.
‘It’s not humanly possible to repeat it year after year. I am optimistic,’ Sania has reportedly said.
Sania’s performance was also hampered by a spate of injuries in her short career in the WTA circuit and rubbished statements that her game was found out.
She looked ecstatic about the ATP event and said Hingis’ star value will add to the sport’s popularity.
Sania is however, currently enjoying a career-high doubles ranking as World No.28. She will partner top doubles player Liezel Huber from South Africa in Sunfeast Open.
Sania and Huber will be chasing their third title together, having won the WTA Bangalore Open Tennis Tournament earlier this season and the Hyderabad Open in 2004.
The duo were also the finalists at the doubles event at Amelia Island in 2006, where the pair’s golden run in the tournament came to an end at the hands of the Japanese-Slovenian pair of Shinobu Asagoe and Katarina Srebotnik
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