Bangalore: With 14 Grand Slam titles between them - Serena and Venus Williams are undoubtedly the grand attraction at Monday's Bangalore Open.
First toe emerge was this familiar figure from the airport - it was Richard Williams, the maverick dad of the two sisters. And then the sisters themselves appeared.
The hour was late but the excitement was hard to miss and even Venus soaked it all in.
"I want to see it all. I want to go to the market - want to get a saree and other things and sent it back to my friends. And will try to win the tournament," said Venus.
Venus and Serena are by far the best female tennis players to have ever set foot in India and with world number four Jelena Jankovic also in the mix, the organisers are looking ahead to a sparkling week of action.
"Given these top three ten seeds and the fact that we have eight players in the top 20, really its one of the highest quality event anywhere in the world. I think Bangalore is in for a big show of tennis and I think India is ready for this," said C.S.Sunder Raju, Secretary, KSLTA.
The only sore point of course is the absence of India's very own Sania Mirza who chose not to play.
"No doubt she is a fantastic player and quite liked by everyone but the people have the best in the tennis world to play here and excitement is not going to be lessened in anyway whatsoever,"said Amar Kumar Pandey, Commissioner, Department of Youth Services and Sports.
So, brace yourselves for some sizzling tennis action over the next week.
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