Sania Mirza India's No.1 women's player

Sania gets easy draw at Wimbledon

Sania Mirza earned an easy opener as she was drawn against unseeded Colombian Catalino Castano at the Wimbledon championships, beginning on June 23. Though the Indian ace, seeded 32nd, has struggled since coming back from an injury lay-off, she will start more confident against the 29-year-old Castano, who is ranked more than 100 places behind her and has not gone past the first round in five visits to Wimbledon.

PTF plans to invite Sania in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) is planning to invite Indian tennis star Sania Mirza to play a couple of mix double matches to promote tennis in the country. “She has initially agreed with the proposal and we will shortly arrange the event when all the participating players would have time,” PTF president Syed Dilawar Abbas told a news conference here on Saturday after the annual general council meeting of the federation.

Dilawar, who was earlier elected life patron of the federation by the general council, said Sania, pairing with an Indian partner, will play Pakistan’s Aisamul Haq and her top female national partner. “Sania even has promised to wave off her match fee and will charge only Rs 2 million as appearance money,” he stated adding the dates and venue for the competition was yet to be discussed.

He said the general council also approved the revival of various discarded tournaments including the start of new events. “We have decided to start Joint Services Cup and also to launch juniors and school initiative programme. Pakistan will host eight international events including the future and junior tournaments this year while three junior events have already been reserved for the next year,” he added. He said the PTF complex was ready to host tennis activities and its completion would further boost the game. “The PTF is paying $15,000 annually to the International Tennis Federation as affiliation fee and now the federation was planning to ask the government for paying these charges,” he concluded.