By Admin 
When Linda Fruhvirtova of Czechia won the WTA 250 Chennai Open as a 17-year-old in the year 2022, she wasn’t the favourite by a distance. Unseeded, Linda put it across Magda Linette of Poland, seeded three, in an exciting three-set final.
Returning to the same tournament, which is being held after a gap of three years, the 20-year-old defending champion knows the fickle nature of the sport at the highest level.
Speaking at the draw ceremony here on Saturday, Linda, who will face Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany in the first round, said, “It’s also the last tournament of the season. Some girls might be tired or the opposite, even more motivated. And the weather here can be extreme and it all depends on the particular day. Many times, we have seen qualifiers or unseeded players having great runs.”
Vijay Amritraj, the former Indian tennis great, described the main draw, which begins at the SDAT-Nungambakkam Stadium here on Monday, as open. “It comes down to the day’s performance. Obviously, weather will play a role, depending on how matches progress,” he said.
Germany’s Tatjana Maria, who was the top seed, has pulled out without specifiying any reason. In her absence, Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey (World ranked 69) has been given the top billing in the singles main draw.
Indian wildcard entrants, Maaya Rajeshwaran and Shrivalli Bhamidipaty will face each other in the opening round. India’s No. 1 Sahaja Yamalapalli, a wild card entry, will take on a qualifier in the first round. Alastair Garland, Managing Director of Octagon, the license holder of the Chennai Open, said, “It’s our intention to keep the tournament here.”
Maaya Rajeshwaran
| Photo Credit:
R. Ravindran
On taking on her Indian counterpart Shrivalli on Monday, Maaya said: “I think she’s someone every Indian junior has looked up to. I have personally known her not only as a player, as a person as well. It’s an experience to play against her.”