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French Open berths for Sharan, Liberhan
May 21, 2004 20:35 IST
Divij Sharan and Tushar Liberhan will lead India's challenge at the French Open and Wimbledon junior championships this summer.
Eighteen-year old Divij and Tushar, 16, are part of the five-member boys and girls' team, sponsored by the All India Tennis Association, which embarks on a six-week tour of Europe on Friday.
The team -- also comprising Rupesh Roy, Sanaa Bhambri and Tara Iyer and coached by Arun Kumar -- will play three Grade 1 and a Grade 4 events besides the two Grade A Grand Slams.
While Divij and Tushar, with a combined ITF ranking of 29 and 33 respectively, have a direct entry at the French Open in Paris, from May 29, the others have to go through the qualifying rounds.
Sixteen-year old Sanaa and Sania Mirza created a sensation last year by becoming the first Indian girls to reach the doubles semi-finals of a Grand Slam.
The players' first event would be a G1 event on clay court in Belgium from Monday. After competing at Roland Garros, they will proceed to Germany, where they will play in G1 and G4 events.
Another G1 grass court tournament in Roehampton, London, then would serve as the tune-up for Wimbledon.