NRI,
US born tennis player, wants to represent
the country of her origin (India)
KOLKATA, SEPTEMBER 17, 2005
Ashok Malhotra
NRI press
NRI, US-born Indian origin tennis player, Sunitha
Rao wants to represent the country of her origin
someday, but her immediate goal is to break into the
top 100 WTA rankings. "I am in good form and
playing well. But I want to work harder and improve
my singles ranking," she said.
Sunitha had her career-best singles ranking of 152
in 2003 but it went down last year when she failed
to qualify in the WTA tours of Memphis, Vancouver,
New Haven and the US open grand slam. She had qualified
in the seoul WTA open but her challenge had ended
in the first round itself. Sunitha, currently ranked
161, was slated to play the qualifiers from tomorrow
but things changed when German Marlene Weingartner
pulled out because of injury. Its a dream-come-true.
This is the first time I am playing in the main draw
without taking the difficult route and the fact that
its in India makes it all the more special,
she said.
This is Sunithas first visit to the city, although
she has played Challengers in Mumbai, New Delhi and
Hyderabad and she is enjoying every bit of her stay
here. I was born in New Jersey, but that doesnt
take away the fact that I am an Indian at heart, especially
since my father is from Chennai and mom from Bangalore,
she said.
In 2003, Rao earlier had a chance to play for India
when at the at the age of 17, she was the highest
ranked Indian in the world at 162. But she could not
play for India as her father Manohar Rao had asked
the AITA to pay her $100,000 per year for five years
of her training for representing India in the Fed
Cup. The AITA had refused her case and since then
Sunitha has fallen off with her father. This had caused
a rift between Rao and her father.
At Netaji Indoor Stadium, Rao said: I would
love to play for India. Once my ranking goes up to
where I want it to, I will request the All-India Tennis
Association and the ITF to allow me to play for India.
But that will take some time.
Sunitha Rao, will be 21 in Oct. She
would be the fourth Indian in the main draw after
second seed Sania Mirza, Shikha Uberoi and wild card
Neha Uberoi.
Birth Date: 27 October 1985
Plays: Right
Current Singles Rank: 169
Current Doubles Rank: 413
High Rank for singles: 152
High Rank date for singles: 14 July 2003
High rank for doubles: 209
High rank date for doubles: 22 November 2004
Career matches won: 1
Career matches lost: 3
Year to date matches lost: 1
Career prize money: $106,478 USD
Year to date prize money for singles: $23,540 USD
Year to date prize money for doubles: $574 USD
highest ranking
2002 # 35 ITF Sgles
2002 # 81 ITF Dbles
2002 # 355 WTA
2001 # 16 ITF Sgles
2001 # 40 ITF Dbles
2001 # 2 USTA G18
2000 # 20 ITF Sgles
2000 # 40 ITF Dbles
2000 # 1 USTA G16
2000 # 5 USTA G18
1999 # 10 USTA G16
1999 # 18 USTA G18
1998 # 1 Florida G14
Birthdate: October 27th 1985
Aug 2002 Singles Qtrfinalist & Doubles Qtrfinalist
(with Salome Devidze GEO), Canadian Open, ITF G1
Jun 2002 Doubles Semifinalist (with Elke Clijsters
BEL), LTA Roehampton Great Britain, ITF G1
May 2002 Singles Qtrfinalist, Sea Island, GA, USA
WTA $25,000
Feb 2002 Singles Finalist, Mumbai, India, $10,000
WTA
Jan 2002 Singles Qtrfinalist, Australian Open, ITF
G-A
Jan 2002 Singles rd of 16, Australian Hardcourts,
AUS, ITF G1
Nov 2001 Singles Rd of 16, Eddie Herr Int'l, ITF G1
Oct 2001 Singles rd of 16, Chanda Rubin Int'l, Baton
Rouge, LA, ITF G B1
Sep 2001 Singles rd of 16, Kentucky Int'l, ITF G1
Aug 2001 Doubles Semifinalist (with Nicole Pitts),
Canadian Open, ITF G1
Aug 2001 G18 Singles & Doubles Qtrfinalist (with
Shadisha Robinson), USTA Super National Hard Courts
L1
Jun 2001 Singles Qtrfinalist, Astrid Bowl Belgium,
ITF G1
May 2001 Singles rd of 16, Italian Junior Open, ITF
Grade A
Jan 2001 Singles Semifinalist & Doubles Qtrfinalist
(with Tanner Cochran) Australian Open, ITF Grade A
Dec 2000 Doubles Semifinalist (with Barbora Strycova),
Orange Bowl, USA, ITF Grade A
Nov 2000 Singles Qtrfinalist, Eddie Herr, USA, ITF
Grade 1
Oct 2000 G18 Singles Winner & Doubles Semifinalist
(with partner Tanner Cochran), North American ITF
Closed, USA, ITF Grade B1
May 2000 Doubles Qtrfinalist (with Ashley Harkleroad),
Astrid Bowl, Belgium, ITF Grade 1
Mar 2000 Singles Semifinalist & Doubles Qtrfinalist
(with Julie Smekodub), Int"l Champ of Venezuela
ITF Grade 1
Jan 2000 Doubles Semifinalist (with Iryna Kuryanovich),
26th Coffee Bowl, Costa Rica, ITF Grade 1
Jan 2000 Singles Qtrfinalist & Doubles Semifinalist
(with Martina Babakova), Casablanca Cup, Mexico, ITF
Grade 1
Nov 1999 Mixed Doubles Semifinalist (with partner
Jeremy Wurtzman) and Doubles Semifinalist (with partner
Nicole Pitts), Eddie Herr ITF Grade 1
Nov 1999 Singles & Doubles Winner (with partner
Cory-Ann Avants), Van der Meer Int'l Champ ITF
Jul 1999 Singles Winner, Stanley Park Open, Canada,
ITF Grade 5
June 1999 Doubles Qtrfinalist (with Eva Wang), Danish
Jr Tournament, ITF Grade 4
June 1999 Singles Winner & Doubles Qtrfinalist
(with Hillary Adams), All Canadian ITF Jr Championships,
ITF Grade 5
Apr 1999 G16 Single Quarterfinalist, Easter Bowl USTA
May 1999 Single Qtrfinalist, Panama Bowl, ITF Grade
4
Mar 1999 Singles Winner, Costa Rica Bowl, ITF Grade
5
Feb 1999 G16 Singles Finalist, Frank Veltri Designated,
USTA
Aug 1998 G14 Singles Winner, USTA National Hardcourt
Champs.
Jul 1998 G14 Singles semifinalist, USTA National Claycourt
Champs
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NRI, new jersey-born player Sunitha Rao,
highest ranking tennis player wants to play for India
- Display Junior record
- Birth Date 27/10/1985,
- Birth Place Jersey City, New Jersey, USA,
- Residence Bradenton, Florida, USA,
Top Row - Left to Right: Ravikiran, Surekha and Sunil
Bottom Row - Left to Right: R.H.Rao, Sruthi and Sunitha
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