Chance for teen Bhambri

The 15-year-old promise called Yuki Bhambri will take his first step towards manhood when he plays in the first of the back-to-back $50,000 ATP Challenger tennis events, starting here on Monday.

The Delhi teenager, who guided India to the junior Davis Cup finals last week with an all-win record in the qualifiers here, has been given a main draw wild card for the hard court event.

"I want to make the most of the opportunity, and I also want to enjoy it because such opportunities don't come often," Bhambri told HT on Sunday.
The promising youngster will take on Australian Adam Feeney in the first round.

Although he played as a wild card in the qualifying rounds of the ATP Tour event in Mumbai last year, Feeney, ranked 924 places above at 274, is the most senior player Bhambri has played so far. The Delhi lad though gained some vital tips from compatriot Rohan Bopanna with whom he practised on the DLTA Courts Sunday evening.

"He (Bopanna) did tell me a few things about Feeney's game. He has played against him and also with him in doubles," Bhambri said. Bopanna, who lost in the first round of qualifying in the ATP Tour event in Munich last week, faces fourth-seed Go Soeda of Japan. Prakash Amritraj is another direct Indian entry and faces American seventh-seed Brendan Evans in his opener. Harsh Mankad and Ashutosh Singh have entered as wild cards. Chinese Taipei's Yen-Hsun Lu has received the top billing while veteran Gilles Muller of Luxembourg is seeded second.

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