The fourth edition of the $100,000 KPB Trust ITF Open will kick off with the first qualifying round at the KSLTA courts here on Sunday.

Thirty-two players, including five Indian wildcard entrants, will battle it out for the eight spots up for grabs in the main draw of the biggest-ever ITF event in the country.

The eight qualifiers, who will be identified after two rounds, will join the 20 direct entrants and four Indian wildcards -- Ankita Raina, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty and Vaidehi Chaudhari -- into the main draw of the upgraded W100 tournament, one of the popular stops on the Women’s World Tennis Tour.

Karman Kaur Thandi, Zeel Desai, Riya Bhatia and two promising Karnataka players – Sreenidhi Balaji and Amodini Naik – are the five Indians in the qualifying draw.

“I’m feeling focused and motivated heading into the qualifiers at the KSLTA,” said Karman Kaur, a former India No. 1 who opens against top-seeded American Emina Bektas. “My mindset is to take it one match at a time, stay in the present and give it my all. I’m excited for the opportunity to compete and looking forward to a great tournament,” she added after a training session.

“The KPB Trust ITF Women’s Open not only celebrates athletic excellence, but also serves as a stepping stone for Indian players, who gain a home advantage as they compete on familiar turf. We intend making Karnataka, the desired destination for tennis in the country” said Shri Priyank Kharge, Hon’ble Minister of IT BT & RDPR, Govt. of Karnataka, who is also the Sr. Vice President of KSLTA who has been spearheading the organisation’s activities.

KP Balaraj, founder of KPB Trust and a former national level tennis player, said: “We are very excited to keep supporting the ITF Women’s Tennis event here in Bengaluru. I feel tournaments like this one will greatly benefit all the Indian women players as they can compete with the best at home.”

Match-ups of Indian qualifiers: Zeel Desai vs Mei Yamaguchi (Jpn); Sreenidhi Balaji vs Tina Nadine Smith (Aus); Amodini Naik vs Iryna Shymanovich (Blr); Karman Kaur Thandi vs Emina Bektas (US); Riya Bhatia vs Eri Shimizu (Jpn).