News - Match - Player
Bengaluru, 17 January, 2025
Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty may not have had a great start to the season alright, but the return to her favourite city is likely to see a surge in adrenaline for the India No. 3.
The winter chill may have played a part in her early exit from the ITF event currently underway in New Delhi, but the 23-year-old Hyderabadi, who won her maiden title in the Garden City two years ago, will hope to strike the right note in the $100,000 KPB Trust ITF Open that begins at the KSLTA courts here on January 21.
Handed a wild card entry into the biggest-ever ITF World Tennis Tour event in the country, Shrivalli, known for her big hitting and who boasts a huge serve as her main weapon, felt her game was in a good place.
“I feel pretty confident about the way I am playing. You learn from every match, irrespective of whether you win or lose,” Shrivalli said on Friday. “Yes, this week was not good but I learnt a lot from that match. I'm hoping next week will be much better.”
The tall player said she was going into the big-ticket event without any expectations and would take it one match at a time. “I am not going to put any pressure on myself. I’m just going to try and enjoy every moment of the tournament,” she said.
“It is going to be a good tournament. It’s the first time we are having an ITF 100k event in India and it’s a good motivation for all of us to compete in the event and gain experience by playing against really good players on the Tour. I’m thankful to the KSLTA for awarding me a wild card,” said Shrivalli.
Also, the talented player will draw a lot of confidence from her win at Solapur last month and hope to give higher-ranked players a run for their money.
Unlike most players, Shrivalli took to the sport a trifle late. A trained classical Carnatic singer from a young age, the Hyderabadi had to make a tough choice between music and tennis as an 11-year-old. Once tennis took precedence, there has been no looking back.
“After playing for some time, tennis became a part of me and I just started loving the sport,” reminisced Shrivalli, who began to make rapid strides in the sport, winning the U-14 Asian Championships, in both singles and doubles, and the National titles, also in both categories.
Soon, she began to make a name for herself on the ITF circuit. Owner of two singles ITF titles and five doubles crowns, Shrivalli is now ready to make the next jump. “If I move up a few ranks, I can make it to the qualies of the Slams. I am working towards it and hopefully that happens,” she signed off.
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