Promising tennis players from Karnataka Rishi Reddy and SD Prajwal Dev were on Friday handed the last two wildcards for the main draw of the Bengaluru Open 1 ATP Challenger beginning at the KSLTA courts here from February 7.Rishi who had won the INR one-lakh Karnataka Open a few months ago at the very same courts was thrilled to earn a coveted spot."I am very excited. I am honoured that the organisers have given me an opportunity to showcase my talent and I thank them from the bottom of my heart. I have been working hard at my game and coming from a good winning streak."I am confident of a good show on this platform," said the 23-year-old Rishi. "I have seen many of the players on TV but it will be a different experience to rub shoulders with some of the best players," added Rishi whose last international outing was the ITF M15 Doha in December.
Prajwal who hails from Mysore and trains at the Rohan Bopanna Academy was equally pleased to have been given a wildcard."It is a great opportunity to play in such a tournament. I am extremely thankful to KSLTA for having given me a slot and I hope to repose their faith in my abilities," said Prajwal, who had won the ITF doubles title in Harare in 2019 pairing with Rishi."I have been working on my tennis and fitness. The competition will be really tough. I have to step up and play my best game," added the 25-year-old."Both Rishi and Prajwal are the best players in Karnataka ranking wise and we are happy to recognize their achievements with an opportunity for them to play at the Bengaluru Open. Hope they utilise the opportunity to the fullest," said Sunil Yajaman, tournament director.Meanwhile, wildcards have been handed over to Niki Poonacha, Karan Singh, Adil Kalyanpur and Arjun Kadhe for the qualifiers which begin from February 6. The qualifying draw comprises 24 players with six making it to the main rounds.