Mumbai may host Sunfeast Open

Mumbai tennis fans could well have a two-weeks' treat, as the WTA Sunfeast Open Tier III tournament, which is hosted by Kolkata every year, could be shifted to India's financial capital, after the annual ATP Kingfisher Airlines Open.

Due to the Olympics, the ATP event has been delayed by a week and will now start on September 29 while the Sunfeast Open has been slotted for an October 6 start. Both events are managed by Mahesh Bhupathi's Globosport.

"It's mainly because of the monsoons that we had asked the ATP to keep the event later in the calendar and I'm happy that they have agreed," said Mumbai Open tournament director Gaurav Natekar.

The 2007 ATP tournament was marred by rain and the schedule thrown into jeopardy, as almost the entire first three days were washed out.

With two big events, the Beijing Olympics (August 8-24) and the US Open (August 25), preceding it, the Mumbai Open will once again provide a chance for the border-line players to gain points and qualify for the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai.

As far as the WTA event is concerned, the organisers had been looking for a change in venue as the tournament coincides with the Durga Puja.

Globosport Chief Executive Officer Anirban Das Blah refused to confirm the tournament shifting base, saying that they had made a proposal but it is "too early to talk about".