Martina Hingis, currently 13th in the WTA rankings, will be setting the courts ablaze with her scorching groundstrokes in the 2006 edition of Sunfeast Open, starting on September 18 in Kolkata.

It is still unconfirmed whether last year's marquee player, Anastasia Myskina, will compete to defend her crown. Myskina had won last year's singles and doubles title.

Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza will participate this year too and try to redeem her last year second round exit with a better performance.

Sunfeast Open is a tier III WTA accredited tournament in India sponsored by ITC. This year its prize money will increase by 5-7 %.

Sharing his thought on the role of corporate association with sports, SM Ahmad, executive vice-president of ITC, said, "Sunfeast is committed to bringing the best to India - be it product offerings or in activities we do." He also said that this year the Sunfeast trophy will be designed with involvement of school children from top six metros of India.

Mahesh Bhupathi, managing director of Globosport, the sports management company that organizes the event, expressed happiness at having Hingis play in India, "It's a big event for Indian tennis when fans will get to meet an icon like Martina..."