Date:11/02/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/02/11/stories/2007021102130200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Bangalore ready for tennis bash

Kalyan Ashok

BIG DRAW: Tennis players going to the Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore by a vintage car on Saturday. — Photo: K. Murali Kumar

BANGALORE: It was indeed a traffic stopper. Vintage beauties loaded with tennis beauties made their way to the Vidhana Soudha as an appetiser to the Sony Ericsson WTA International Tennis Tournament. The vintage entourage headed for a ceremonial draw of the event in front of the imposing edifice.

Twenty cars - ranged from Lancaster, Bentley, Jaguar, Fiats and Citroen - belong to the Vintage Car Association. The players did enjoy the ride through Residency Road, Mahatma Gandhi Road, and Cubbon Road before arriving at the Vidhana Soudha. The $ 275,000 event, which kicks off on Monday at the KSLTA Stadium, suffered a setback with the withdrawal of the Australian Open champion Serena Williams who pulled out citing flu.