It’s Maaya’s World At The WTA 125 L&T Mumbai Open

Tennis buffs were happy to read the bold and interesting catchline — Larsen & Toubro: Celebrating Excellence in Women’s Tennis — at the tennis courts of South Mumbai’s sports-minded Cricket Club of India (CCI). India and the world’s top engineering, construction and manufacturing company, was the title sponsor, for the fourth year, of the “LT Mumbai Open” which is a Women’s Tennis Association’s (WTA) category 125 professional tournament that draws budding and experienced international players who aim for the 125 WTA points and move up the world rankings. The tournament also helps promising Indian players who are not among the top notch get a “wildcard” entry into the qualifiers and the main draw. The CCI was a superb venue for the event, but the week-long tournament — revived after six years — enabled a rookie Indian junior, Maaya Rajeshwarann Revathi to cut her teeth in the big league and make a terrific impact. Thanks to the L&T, CCI and the Tournament Director, Sunder Iyer, four Indians — Ankita Raina, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, Vaishnavi Adkar and Sahaja Yamalapalli — got a wildcard entry into the main draw of 32, and Maaya and Akanksha Nitture for the qualifier. But the young lass who impressed the most was the 15-year old from Coimbatore, Maaya who won two qualifier rounds and three main draw rounds to enter the semi-finals to be assured of 49 WTA points to enter the WTA world ranking list. She also earned a prize money of $ 5300. The week ending February 9 turned out to be path breaking for Maaya who trains at the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in Spain. Tennis needs more corporate patronage, just like the L&T ‘s support for the Mumbai Open.