By IANS
Kolkata : Sachin Tendulkar dreads tennis elbow but not certainly tennis. So the cricketer should be in his elements when he visits Kolkata Tuesday to prove that he knows a thing or two about tennis too.
‘Prince of Kolkata’ Sourav Ganguly could not attend the inaugural show of Sunfeast Open Monday, but Tendulkar would not disappoint fans as he is expected here Tuesday to play a fun game with Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi.
Globosport head Bhupathi said: “Sachin will be certainly coming.”
He had earlier said owing to his commitments with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Sachin might not be able to be present on Tuesday as promised. But later it was confirmed that the cricket legend would be in town for a game with Sania, Bhupathi and some other star players.
About Sania’s injury, the ace doubles star said: “As a player I know injuries are part and parcel of the game and all of us have to take them in our stride. She will practise Monday and take a call in the evening about her availability. We are all hoping she will recover and play.”
Bhupathi took part in an exhibition tennis match with Sania in the middle of the river Hoogly. The two played a three-game duel on a barge specially constructed for the event.
The 114 feet by 37 feet structure placed between the Howrah Bridge and Vidyasagar Setu had a panoramic backdrop.
Sania downed Bhupathi two games to one in a fun-filled affair.
Her forehand, which worked well on the Hoogly, drew huge cheers from the gathering.
About the whole experience of playing on a floating barge, Bhupathi said: “The setting was fantastic and I am sure all of us had great fun. This was definitely an experience of a lifetime. I thoroughly enjoyed the match and I guess Sania was better than me. ”
The Sunfeast Open, which is in its third year and is the premier WTA event in the country, has grown in stature over the years and is now one of the most talked about tournaments in the WTA circuit.
“We had players like Anastasia Myskina and Martina Hingis for the earlier editions. We have Wimbledon runners-up Marion Bartoli and Daniela Hantuchova. We are growing every year. And probably compared to other WTA events, we are growing faster because of the wonderful support we are receiving from all quarters,” Bhupathi said.