Shikha Uberoi gets Wild Card for Sunfeast Open main draw

New Delhi, Sep 13 (UNI) Fed Cupper and US-based Shikha Uberoi has been awarded a wild card into the main draw of the 175,000 dollar Sunfeast Open in Kolkata.

Partnering sister Neha, Shikha had reached the doubles finals and singles quarter-finals in the last edition of the prestigious WTA tournament.

Shikha thus joins Sania Mirza who spearheads the India's challenge in the Tier III tournament where Martina Hingis, the former World No.1 and current World No.9 leads the dazzling field.

''We are pleased to announce that Shikha Uberoi has accepted a wild card for the Sunfeast Open 2006 main draw. This will provide her with an excellent opportunity to play alongside and against some of the world's best players,'' Mahesh Bhupathi, Managing Director of Globosport, organiser of the event, said.

Tournament Director and former Davis Cup captain Jaidip Mukerjea said, ''Shikha is a very talented player and on her day can give the top seeds a run for their money. Shikha's strong serve and forehand volleys are her forte and it will be a pleasure for India's tennis lovers to watch her play again at the Sunfeast Open. ''She performed exceedingly well at the inaugural Sunfeast Open and I am sure we can expect some dazzling display of tennis from Shikha this time too,'' he said.

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