- Friday, April 19, 2024
By: Sarwar Alam
Doubles star Sania Mirza on Tuesday returned to the Indian Fed Cup team after four years as she was named in the five-member squad, which features country’s top singles player Ankita Raina.
Sania last played Fed Cup in 2016 and has been out of action since October 2017 as she took a two-year break to start a family.
Riya Bhatia (379), Rutuja Bhosale (466) and Karman Kaur Thandi (568) also figure in the squad.
Ranked 180 in the WTA singles chart, Ankita is way above her compatriots.
Former Davis Cupper Vishal Uppal will be the captain of the side while former Fed Cupper Ankita Bhambri has been named the coach of the side, which will have Sowjanya Bavisetti as the reserve player.
Sania is making a comeback at Hobart International with Ukraine’s Nadiia Kichenok, the current world number 38.
Before her sabbatical, Sania won six doubles Grand Slam titles—including three mixed—achieved the number one rank, won medals at multi-disciplinary events apart from laying hands on a year-end WTA Finale title with Swiss great Martina Hingis.
