Sports India

South Asia’s biggest sporting spectacle, Sunfeast Open 2005 will be shown live and exclusive on Ten Sports. Following the massive success of the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year, Ten Sports will continue its high-class live tennis action with its exclusive coverage of the US$-170,000, Tier III WTA Tour event being held in Kolkata from Sept 19 to Sept 25, 2005.

Sania-mania is expected to continue when the Sunfeast Open starts at the revamped Netaji Indoor Stadium from Monday, September 19. Sania Mirza will be the star attraction of the tournament, and buoyed by her strong showing in the US Open, she would be hoping to win her second WTA Tour title.

However, the Hyderabad lass, who is now ranked 34th in the world, will face tough challenge from world No 13, Anastasia Myskina of Russia. Also in the main field are former world number 17 Karolina Sprem of Croatia, Thai star Tamarine Tanasugarn and Australian Nicole Pratt.

Live telecast of the matches on Ten Sports will start at 7:00 pm IST on the first two days of the tournament, and from 6:00 pm from Wednesday onwards till the final on Sunday.

“Ten Sports is delighted to be associated with the Sunfeast Open. We are committed to showing sports which have significance for the Indian sub-continent fans, and I am sure each and every sports fan in the country is excited about the prospects of Sania doing well,” said Chris McDonald, CEO, Taj Television Limited, owners of Ten Sports.

Among the other interesting aspects of the tournament would be the appearance of Shikha Uberoi, who is being hailed as the next most promising thing to happen to Indian women’s tennis after Sania Mirza, and the doubles team of Sania and world’s No. 1 women’s double player Virginia Ruano Pascual.
Date Time Schedule
19.09.05 19.00 WTA Sunfeast Open Day 1 (Live)
20.09.05 7:45
WTA Sunfeast Open Day 1 H/L’s
19:00
WTA Sunfeast Open Day 2 (Live)
21.09.05 7:45
WTA Sunfeast Open Day 2 H/L’s
18.00 WTA Sunfeast Open Day 3 (Live)
22.09.05 7:45
WTA Sunfeast Open Day 3 H/L’s
18:00
WTA Sunfeast Open Day 4 (Live)
23.09.05 7:45
WTA Sunfeast Open Day 4 H/L’s
18:00
WTA Sunfeast Open Day 5 (Live)
24/9/05
7:45
WTA Sunfeast Open Day 5 H/L’s
18:00
WTA Sunfeast Open Day 6 (Live)
25/9/05 7:30
WTA Sunfeast Open Day 6 H/L’s
18:00
WTA Sunfeast Open Day 7 (Live)

About the Sunfeast Open

Touted as South Asia’s biggest sporting spectacle, Sunfeast Open 2005 is Tier III WTA (Women Tennis Association) event with prize money of US$ 170,000. It will be played at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata from September 19-25, 2005. The Sunfeast Open 2005, Kolkata is a new event that is being added for the first time to the WTA Tour championships, and will feature some of the world’s leading players as well the new generation of Indian stars led by Sania Mirza and Shikha Uberoi. The tournament is being brought to Kolkata by Globosport, the sports management company owned by Mahesh Bhupathi, under the auspices of the Government of West Bengal. With the explosion of talent in women’s tennis in India, the Sunfeast Open 2005 – Kolkata will allow Indians to see a new generation of Indian women take on the best in the world in their own backyard.