Rishika, Shweta enter main draw of QNET Open

Indian tennis players Rishika Sunkara and Shweta Rana as well as Thailand's Kamonwam Buayan and China's Wang XI-Yao qualified for the main draw of the QNET Open $50,000 ITF women's tournament that will begin at the DLTA here Monday.

The 21-year-old Rishika overcame early resistance from Pakistan's Ushna Sohail Sunday before breezing to a straight-set win against Hong Kong's Ho Ching Wu to make it to the tournament proper where there will be a total of eight Indians, including four wildcards.

India's Ankita Raina, who made it to the singles quarter-finals and won the doubles title in the $25,000 ITF event in Mumbai earlier this week, will be seeking to make her presence felt.

Prathana Thombare, who won the Asian Games women's doubles bronze with Sania Mirza, will be looking to overcome memories of her first-round defeat in Mumbai and rediscover the form that helped her win ITF titles in Chennai and Hyderabad earlier this year.

Prerna Bhambri, Natasha Palha, Bhuvana Kalva and Sharon Sanchana Paul have been accorded wildcard entries.