India no. Mukund Sasikumar used to be on Wednesday passed a wild card access for the 5th version of the ATP Tata Open Maharashtra, scheduled on the Balewadi Stadium right here from December 31 to January 7.
The 25-year-old Chennai-born participant would be the first wildcard entrant this yr as the harsh singles box is composed of 17 top-100 gamers, together with the previous Grand Slam champion Marin Cilic and closing yr’s runner-up Emil Ruusuvuori.
In September, Mukund received the ITF Future match in Portugal — his first identify in 5 years, and likewise completed runner-up at an ITF 15 match in Egypt previous this month.
“This is India’s tournament and we are committed to provide a platform to Indian players, helping them get the much-needed opportunities. We are delighted to give a wildcard to Mukund Sasikumar; he is the top ranked Indian at the moment. I hope he will make the most of this opportunity and put up some impressive performances in front of the home fans,” stated Prashant Sutar, Tournament Director of Tata Open Maharashtra and Chairman of Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association.
“Playing big tournaments like Tata Open Maharashtra always helps players to boost their confidence, especially when you compete against some of the world’s best athletes. Mukund Sasikumar is one of India’s talented players and this tournament has always encouraged Indian participation. It will be a great opportunity for him to showcase his game and get valuable experience as we have a competitive field this year with some big names,” stated Sunder Iyer, Joint Secretary of All India Tennis Association and Secretary of Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association.
This can be Mukund’s 2d primary draw look on the Tata Open Maharashtra after his maiden time out within the 3rd version. The World No. 340 featured within the qualifiers closing yr. Yuki Bhambri will compete within the qualifiers.
This tale has been printed from a twine company feed with out changes to the textual content.