Wildcards for Indians

City’s first ever ATP event to feature five top-20 players.

MUMBAI: In what is a major boost for homegrown talent, the organisers of the inaugural Mumbai Open have decided to award all the wildcards to Indian players.

“We would like to give all the wildcards to the Indian players,” confirmed tournament director Gaurav Natekar. “The wildcards will awarded a day before the tournament.”

This will give the fortunate ones a chance to play against the best in the world, with the $380,000 tournament already attracting big names like Spaniard Tommy Robredo, Croat Mario Ancic, Czech Radek Stepanek, Chilean Fernando Gonzalez and two-time Chennai Open champion Carlos Moya.

“For one particular event, getting this kind of a draw with five players in the top-20 is unprecedented,” added Natekar, of the international series event that has replaced Ho Chi Minh City on the ATP Tour. With about seven weeks left before the start of the tournament, the organisers will soon start work on the makeshift stands at the CCI, the venue for the week-long event.