Courts:
The Tournament would be played on the Four (4) hard Deco courts at the Kalinga Stadium Tennis Complex, Bhubneswar. Salient Features of theses courts are:
- This is the 1st time in Odisha & Eastern India that the exact brand (Decoturf) and color of US Open has been replicated in Kalinga Stadium.
- The used material is recognized & certified by all governing bodies including ITF (International Tennis Federation) & AITA (All India Tennis Association).
- DecoTurf is the most recognized tennis court surfaces in the world. It is selected for use at the world's most prestigious events including the US Open since 1978, Beijing Olympic Games, several of the US Open Series tournaments, the NCAA championships and many other tournaments around the world.
- The resilient cushion layer of rubber takes the pressure off of body especially on knees & ankles without changing the bounce of the game.
- The Tennis court surface is suitable to endure the toughest conditions, from the harsh sun to the harsh winters as we experience in Odisha.The colors used are of imported high-quality, consistent for acrylic tennis court surface and are UV resistant and always play ready.
Lighting System:
Further the all the four courts has been fitted with modern LED lighting system as per ITF norms and terms for improved lighting at a low rate of power consumption which supports the green movement as well. All the courts are equipped with this lighting system to conduct night matches , if required.
Entries:
Entries for the Championship have been received from nine (9) foreign countries viz. Germany, Argentina, Italy, Czech Republic, Russia, Chinese Taipei, Serbia, USA and France apart from the host country India.
In the Main Draw, there will be 20 direct entries, 4 wild cards and 8 qualifiers. There will be 26 direct entries and 6 Wild Cards in the Qualifying Draw.
With such a large number of quality participation, the tournament is expected to be of a very high standard. When complemented by the organizational expertise of the OTA, we hope that the tournament would be one of the best ITF Futures to be held in India.
The tournament will follow the guidelines laid down by the "International Tennis Federation".The main draw of the event would be played from 26th February to 3rd March 2018.The Inauguration Ceremony will be held on 26th March at 9am IST. Sri Aditya Prasad Padhi, IAS, Chief Secretary, Govt. of Odisha will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest . The closing ceremony is expected to be held at 11AM on 3rd March 18. Honorable Minister of Sports & Youth Services, Government of Odisha, Shri Chandra Sarathi Behera would grace the closing ceremony as Chief Guest.
As per the usual practice, Draw sheets, Schedule of Matches and daily Media Release would be sent by email to all the leading newspapers and media houses by 6.00 pm every day. Although the OTA is privileged with the contact details of all key Media contacts, it will perhaps be advisable for all concerned to update the OTA with their contact details (telephone and e-mails). For any information required please feel free to ring up S C Sarangi (Media Head) (Contact No: +91-9437044844) at any time.
The OTA wants to spread the news about the tournament to all citizens of the country, irrespective of age, class and creed. The OTA seeks valued support from media houses for extending this mileage which will encourage and help the top players to perform to the best of their ability.