WTA Sunfeast Open likely to be shifted to Mumbai

Mumbai, Mar 7 (UNI) The WTA Sunfeast Open Tier III tournament, hosted by Kolkata every year, is likely to be shifted from that city to the commercial capital of the country.

This would mean that the metropolis would now have two top tennis tourneys' along with the annual ATP Kingfisher Airlines Open. The Sunfeast Open, if shifted to the city, is likely to be held after the completion of the Kingfisher ATP tourney.

Due to the Olympics this year, the ATP event has been delayed by a week and will now start on September 29 while the Sunfeast Open has been slotted for an October 6 start. Both the events are managed by Mahesh Bhupathi's Globosport.

''It's mainly because of the monsoons that we had asked the ATP to keep the event later in the calendar and I'm happy that they have agreed,'' Mumbai Open tournament director Gaurav Natekar said.

The 2007 ATP tournament was marred by rain and the schedule thrown into jeopardy, as almost the entire first three days were washed out.

With two big events, the Beijing Olympics (August 8-24) and the US Open (August 25), preceding it, the Mumbai Open will once again provide a chance for the border-line players to gain points and qualify for the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai.

As far as the WTA event is concerned, the organisers had been looking for a change in venue as the tournament coincides with the Durga Puja.

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