Top billing for Messori

AHMEDABAD, JAN 17: Hot on the heels of the ATP Challenger last month, big time tennis comes to AGETA once again. From grass courts of Cha...

AHMEDABAD, JAN 17: Hot on the heels of the ATP Challenger last month, big time tennis comes to AGETA once again. From grass courts of Chandigarh the caravan rolls on to the hard surfaces here for the second leg of the Gold Flake Aces ITF Futures Tournaments which gets underway on Monday.

The response for the 10,000 event, which is a stepping stone for the fringe players to qualify for the big league, has been overwhelming. The factual justification for which can gauged from the fact that for the eight qualifying spots in the 32 players main draw there were 64 hopefuls. On the eve of the main draw event, these spots remain vacant as the qualifying rounds are yet to be completed.

The top seed in the fray is 329th ranked Fillippo Messori of Italy followed by Lee Martin of USA ranked 334. Others players within 400 mark on the ATP ladder to feature here are Boris Borgula Slovakia, 355, Prahlad Srinath India, 354, Michel Kratochvil Switzerland, 358, Luke Mulligan Great Britain, 375 and Amir HaddadIsrael, 381.

The local flavour to this international event cannot be missed. Besides the Davis Cup stars Srinath and Syed Fazaluddin, who have gained direct entry to the main draw, there are four wild card entrants 8212; Vishal Uppal, Vinod Sridhar, Harsh Mankad and Vijay Kannan.

But the local player to put your money will be Srinath. The fourth seed, who reached the quarter-final here at the ATP Challenger, is comfortable with the conditions here and could be a potential outside favourite for the event.QUALIFYING RESULTS:

Artem Derepasko bt Hubert Suppan 4-6, 6-1, 7-5; Scot Barren bt Jun Kato 6-1, 3-6, 6-3; James Auckland bt Anand Radhakrishnan 7-5, 6-4; Kascak Filip bt Andrei Youznyi 6-2, 6-4; Todd Meringoff bt Sunu Thomas 6-1, 6-4; Andrea Serra bt Anton Kokurin 6-3, 6-4; Le Minh bt Ivo Karlovic 1-6, 6-1, 6-3; Josep Nesticky bt Alan Mackin 7-6. 7-6; Simon Larose bt Rohan Bopanna 3-6, 6-3, 6-1; Iain Bates bt Mustafa Ghouse 6-2, 6-3; Saurav Panja bt Sreenivasan P K 6-4, 4-6, 6-1; Nitin Kirtane btMark Thompson 6-4, 3-6, 6-0; Luben Pampoulov bt Jernej Karner 7-5, 7-6; Maatta Mikael bt Igor Brukner 6-4, 6-3; Aisam Qureshi bt Ari Strasberg 7-5, 6-3; Sandeep Kirtane bt Paul Maggs 6-3, 6-4.

Sandeep Dwivedi

Sandeep Dwivedi is the Sports Editor at The Indian Express. He is one of India's most prominent sports journalists, known for his deep analytical insights and storytelling that often goes beyond scores and statistics to explore the human and cultural side of sports. Professional Profile Role: As the Sports Editor, he leads the sports coverage for the newspaper and the website. Weekly Column: He writes "The Sports Column," a weekly feature where he provides sharp, narrative-driven perspectives on the biggest sporting news of the week. Podcast: He is a frequent contributor to the "Express Sports" podcast (Game Time), where he discusses evolving trends in cricket and other international sports. Areas of Expertise While Dwivedi covers the entire sporting spectrum, his work is particularly noted in the following areas: Cricket: He provides extensive coverage of the Indian National Team and the IPL. He frequently analyzes the leadership styles of figures like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gambhir. He is known for tracking the transition phases of Indian cricket and the evolution of specific players like Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant. Athletics & Olympic Sports: He has written extensively on Neeraj Chopra’s rise in javelin, the nuances of Indian shooting, and tennis legends like Sania Mirza and Leander Paes. Human Interest Stories: A hallmark of his writing is his focus on the struggles and backgrounds of athletes, such as the sacrifices made by Shafali Verma’s father or the "silent battles" of veteran players like Cheteshwar Pujara. Notable Recent Work & Themes Leadership and Dynamics: Recently, he has written about the dynamic between Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, arguing that personal friendship is not a prerequisite for team success. Sports & Culture: His articles often intersect with global culture, such as his deep dive into the 100-year legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters and their role as American soft power during the Cold War. The "Grey Areas" of Sport: He often addresses sensitive topics like the mental health of cricketers post-retirement, the "outrage industry" in sports broadcasting, and the impact of fan-wars on the game. Tenure and Experience Dwivedi has been with The Indian Express for over three decades. This experience allows him to provide historical context to modern sporting events, often comparing current crises or triumphs to those of previous generations. You can follow his latest work and columns on his official Indian Express Author Profile. ... Read More