Huge setback for Lucknow Women’s ITF Futures Tourney: 80 foreign players opt out

Players’ withdrawal from a tournament is a routine affair. But it isn’t a normal thing when as many as 80 players pull out of a tournament. That’s what the ongoing $10,000 ITF Futures women’s tennis tournament in Lucknow, was greeted with. What is striking is that 80 ‘foreign’ players have opted out of this tournament.

The plethora of foreign players’ withdrawal has surely diluted the profile of the 10,000 ITF Futures women’s tennis tournament, reducing it to a largely desi affair.

Only three foreign players feature in the main draw of this grass court outdoor tourney. Australia’s Angelique Svinos is seeded seventh in this tournament while Japan’s Emi Mutaguchi is seeded eight.

China’s Wang XI-Yao is the third foreign player in the main draw – she made it through the qualifying route.

It is learnt that these foreign players have decided to give the ongoing $10,000 ITF Futures women’s tennis tournament a miss on account of security concerns.

Apparently, the foreign players have intimated the organizers that they are crying out owing to security apprehensions. In fact, these players have been told by their respective governments to participate in the Lucknow event at their own risk.

The foreign players may be wary of the crime graph of the state as well as the sense of insecurity that may prevail in those conditions.

The recent outpouring of anger against growing cases of rape against women could have also played a part in the players’ withdrawal.

Meanwhile, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) has downplayed the players’ withdrawal and termed it as a ‘routine’ thing.

AITA insiders say players for such tournaments are permitted to give their entries and also withdraw from an event on a particular date without inviting any penalty.

AITA sources feel that nothing much should be read into the players’ withdrawal.

However, the biting reality is that the 10,000 ITF Futures women’s tennis tournament has suffered a major setback since it bereft of foreign flavour.

However, on the brighter note, it provides a wonderful opportunity to the new crop of Indian youngsters to gain exposure.

The number of foreign participation in recent ITF Futures tournaments has been dwindling. This March, Hyderabad hosted two ITF tourneys, which featured eight and nine foreigners in the main draw.

And the most recent ITF Futures in Chennai featured only four foreign players.

India’s Ankita Raina had won the recent Chennai Futures crown after finishing runners-up in the two ITF Futures tourneys in Hyderabad.

The 524th ranked Pune-based girl is the top seed in the Lucknow ITF Futures event.