Yuki to play World No. 73 Junqueira at Miami
March 25th, 2009 - 8:23 pm ICT by IANS
Miami, March 25 (IANS) World No. 1 junior Yuki Bhambri will find himself in the big league Thursday when he takes on Diego Junqueira of Argentina at the Soni Ericsson Open tennis.
The 16-year-old junior Australian Open was given a wildcard when he won the prestigious Orange Bowl title, considered to be the fifth Grand Slam, in December.
If Yuki manages to beat 28-year-old Junqueira, who is World NO. 73, he will have his first brush with a top-10 player in former World No. 1 and fifth-seed Andy Roddick of US, who got a bye in the first round.
Yuki has been ironing out his flaws at the Nick Bollettieri academy in Florida for over a month.
In the women’s draw, Sania Mirza, has been lucky to receive the wildcard. The Indian has dropped 13 places to be ranked 100 and was originally scheduled to compete in the qualifying tournament.
She would open her campaign against World No. 65 Mathilde Johansson of France Thursday. The winner between the two will run into World No. 2 and second seed Dinara Safina of Russia, who got a bye in the first round.
In the doubles, Sania partnering Chia-Jung Chuang of Chinese Taipei will play Czech pair Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in the opening round.
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Tags: andy roddick, argentina, australian open, chia jung chuang, chinese taipei, diego junqueira, dinara safina, fifth seed, grand slam, iveta benesova, march 25, mathilde johansson, miami miami, nick bollettieri academy, open tennis, orange bowl, sania mirza, soni ericsson, wildcard, yuki bhambri