With her elder sister Shikha opting out of the WTA Sunfeast Open due to asthmatic problems, Neha Uberoi is on the lookout for a suitable doubles partner at the USD 175,000 tournament beginning next week.
KOLKATA: With her elder sister Shikha opting out of the WTA Sunfeast Open due to asthmatic problems, Neha Uberoi is on the lookout for a suitable doubles partner at the USD 175,000 tournament beginning next week.
"I'm so used to pairing with Shikha, that I'm having problem in choosing a doubles partner," 21-year old Neha said.
The Uberoi sisters had combined well in the previous two editions of the WTA event and even reached the final in the inaugural year before going down to the top-seeded Russain pair of Anastasia Myskina and Elena Likhovtseva.
Neha's father Mahesh, who manages his daughters' tennis career, said talks were on with "two or three players".
"We need someone who would be the perfect foil to Neha's style of playing," he said.
Mahesh said Shikha, undergoing treatment in Mumbai, decided to stay away from the court as she did not want to aggravate her problem.
"She hasn't played that many tournaments since winning the silver at the Doha Asian Games. She needed a break due to health reasons."
The 24-year-old Shikha, who made it to the singles quarter final of the Sunfeast Open two years back, has now turned to homoeopathy and ayurveda to find a permanent solution to her chronic problem.
"She will be in Mumbai for the next 30 days. Hopefully, she will return to the court by the end of the year," Mahesh said.
The Florida-based Neha would play the tournament's singles qualifiers beginning tomorrow, and is hoping to put up a good show after a lacklustre summer.
"I would love to get some good results, which will help me gain in confidence after the bad summer months," said Neha, the third of five sisters.
"Its a great tournament and if I can get considerable mileage here, it will help me position myself well for future tourneys," she added.
Neha, who first held a tennis racquet when she was merely four years old, has been working on her endurance and overall physical fitness in the run-up to the tournament.
Off the court, Neha is a great fan of the Harry Potter books, besides being an ardent admirer of Bollywood flicks.
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