Calcutta: Maria Kirilenko claimed the Sunfeast Open, her second WTA Tour title, on a rainy Sunday night. Just before the final got underway, Globosport supremo Mahesh Bhupathi answered a few questions at a press meet about the tournament and beyond.

Do ATP and WTA meets in the country help? Has the Sunfeast Open taken women’s tennis forward?

Bhupathi said that it is not possible to produce a tennis player in three years, but yes, tennis in the country has certainly moved forward.

“We are providing opportunity to youngsters which we lacked. We offer wild cards to players. It is up to them to utilise these opportunities.”

The Sunfeast Open has failed to draw crowds. What does he feel about that? “Well, you obviously like to see full houses. But you cannot fight bad luck, can you?” he asked.

“Sania’s injury was one such bad luck and the other was the scheduling of the World Twenty20 meet. We couldn’t fight either, could we?,” he quipped.