Date:14/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/14/stories/2008021457042200.htm

Sport - Tennis

Rastogi to lead Indian challenge

KOLKATA: Karan Rastogi will lead the Indian challenge in the $15,000 ITF men’s Futures event to be played on the clay courts of the Jaideep Mukerjea Tennis Academy here from February 18.

Alexander Satschko of Germany, who is currently ranked 329 in the world, is the highest ranked player in the tournament.

According to the initial entry list, Davis Cupper Rastogi is likely to be seeded fifth after Guillermo Alcaide (Spain), last year’s winner Todor Enev (Bulgaria) and Matteo Volante of Italy.

Ashutosh Singh, another member of the Indian Davis cup squad, is the next Indian in the order but will be missing the seedings coming at No. 10.

The tournament is the first of the four Futures to be played this season. Divij Sharan, Aditya Madkekar, Vivek Shokeen, Vijay Kannan, Vinod Sridhar and Harsh Mankad are the other Indians who have found direct entry in the main draw.

Vishnu Vardhan, the National grasscourt champion, has been given one of the four wildcards. The rest of the wildcards are yet to be decided. — Principal Correspondent