As preparations for the Commonwealth Games in the Capital move a notch higher on the intensity scale, Delhi’s tennis complex bears almost no resemblance to the stadium of old, where players assembled for training and tournaments made it a place of buzzing activity. As foundations were broken down and new ones set up, and courts torn up to make way for more, there have been no pro circuit events at the venue since September. All India Tennis Association secretary general Anil Khanna is confident the work will end before the March 2010 deadline. “The construction is going on, and by the end of February we should be ready. The courts will be all ready for the first test events scheduled for May,” said Khanna, speaking at the unveiling of the Chennai Open logo.

There will be two test events, one $15,000 Futures for men, and a $25,000 women's circuit tournament.

India has hosted a substantial amount of ITF events over the last two years, and Khanna said more tournaments would be an immense help to Indian players looking to make their way up the rankings.

Benefits of home wins
“Yuki Bhambri has achieved a top-350 spot at such a young age, and the reason is he won a series of tournaments at home. I would like to suggest it to the government to pour in some money for $50,000 $75,000 tournaments, it’s the best way to spend government money on tennis. If we can have 40 tournaments for men and 40 for women, with the government providing sponsorship for prize money, it will be a big boost. If they are of greater prize money, top 100 players will also make their appearance,” added Khanna.

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