ITF Women’s Circuit: Tatarstan Open 2010 kicks off in Kazan 10.08.2010
Kazan is to host the ITF International Women’s Tennis Tournament that will draw 6o athletes. After multiple title holder Kseniya Lykina was withdrawn from the tournament because of an injury Tatarstan is represented by three tennis players
The press briefing was attended by RT Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs, Sports and Tourism Khalil Shaikhutdinov, tournament director and President of RT Tennis Federation Rinad Zagidullin, ITF Supervisor Valery Lutkov and first seed Ksenia Pervak.
Speaking about the tournament Valery Lutkov noted that such competitions are second in importance to the Kremlin Cup (Moscow) and enter top 6 tournaments of the post-Soviet area. The top seed Kseniya Pervak (Russia) ranks 86th in the world rating list followed by compatriots Anna Lapuschenkova in 107th place and Evgeniya Rodina in 118th place. Thanks to their triumph at large tournaments such athletes as Ekaterina Bychkova, Alexandra Panova, Arina Rodionova have established their reputations in the tennis world long time ago.
It was expected earlier that the tournament would be timed to coincide with Republic Day but due to the tight summer schedule the Tatarstan Open 2010 is held from August 9-15. But even now we have all grounds to say that the Kazan tournament is to become traditional.
As Rinad Zagidullin stated the competitions would be held on open courts including the Tennis Academy 3,000-seat central court. According to the tournament director he will be interested in feedback given by athletes and guests on the court’s hard surface.
The tournament organisers told what measures had been taken because of an unusual heat wave. As Valery Mutkov admitted at their arrival to Kazan some female athletes had been shocked with weather conditions that they would have to endure on outdoor courts. Meanwhile as the supervisor pointed out there had been the same heat wave during most European tournaments. The only ease set by the regulations is a 10-minute break at 1-1 score. Rinad Zagidullin informed that due to the heat shade umbrellas were set up, the athletes were served with ice water, etc.
«We cannot change the weather, we have to accept it. It’s a side effect of our activity, it’s hot all over Europe now,» Junior Australian Open 2009 winner Ksenia Pervak gave a comment on the weather conditions the tennis players will have to endure. She complained about the tournament tables as in her first match she will face Vitalia Diachenko – Vitalia and Ksenia are under the guidance of the same coach.
«The Kazan tournament gathered decent players so it won’t be an easy job to do. But my task is to win this tournament,» Ksenia Pervak said.
Source: tatar-inform.ru
