Somdev, Yuki to vie for honours at Kolkata Open ATP Challengers

Tennis talents from 18 different countries including two of India's leading singles players Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri will be seen in action at the $50,000 prize money Kolkata Open 2015 Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) challenger tour starting here Feb 23, organisers said Friday.

The six-day competition, ending Feb 28, will be played on four hard courts (Deco Turf) at the Bengal Tennis Association (BTA) Complex in the satellite township Salt Lake.

BTA president Hironmoy Chatterjee said the winner will pocket 80 valuable ATP points and be richer by $7,200.

The losing finalist will be awarded 48 points with $4,200 added to his purse, while the vanquished semi-finalists will get 29 points each apart from $2,510 in cash.

All players in both doubles and singles are assured of prize money.

The doubles winner, runners up, and semi-finalists would earn $3,100, $1,800 and $1,080 respectively.

The singles main draw of 32 will comprise 22 direct entries, four wildcards and two special exempts, besides four others making the cut from the Feb 21-23 qualifiers.

Apart from Devvarman (ranked 153) and Bhambri (414), two other Indians have got direct entry into the main draw - Saketh Myneni (258) and Ramkumar Ramanathan (272).

The four wild cards - all Indians - are Sanam Singh, Sumit Nagal, Jeevan Nendunchezhiyan and Parajnesh Gunneswaran.

Chatterjee said entries have been received from 18 countries including Australia, Russia, Belgium and Spain.

Australia's James Duckworth, ranked 112, will be the top seed, followed by Russia's Alexander Kudryavtsev (129) and Devvarman.

Another interesting thing about the Kolkata Open will be the mobile application called 'Kolkata Open Tennis 2015' which will have all the live match updates, videos and photo gallery.