Sriram balaji

By Saurabh Singh | AITA

Indian tennis players are slowly getting back to professional tennis action at various tournaments being organised in Europe this week.

One of them is the leading women’s player Ankita Raina, ranked 166th on the WTA singles ranking, who won her maiden match after the COVID-19 outbreak halted global tennis in March.

Playing her second tournament after the unprecedented break, Raina beat Japan’s Kyoka Okamura in straight sets 7-5, 6-4 to enter round two of the ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour’s W25 Prague 2020.

The call to be ready for the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie against Serbia was a bolt from the blue for Sriram Balaji, who is ready to grab the chance and deliver his best tennis.

‘’I was asked two days back if I am fit and available for the tie against Serbia. I said yes’’, said Balaji, who is ranked 110 in the world in doubles.

With Asian Games gold medallist Divij Sharan pulling out owing to an injury, and the top singles player Yuki Bhambri also out with a knee injury, there has been an upheaval in the six-member team selected for the tie.