Trio of titles

At the AITA (All India Tennis Association) Talent Series Tennis tournament in Mysore in August 2004, 13-year-old Kyra Shroff consolidated her progress of the last one-and-a-half years by winning a trio of titles. Training at The Nike-Bhupathi Tennis Academy in Bangalore but representing Maharashtra, Shroff won the Girls under-18 singles, defeating Gurmeet Kaur of Karnataka 6-0, 6-2. She also picked up the under-14 singles title with her 6-3, 6-1 triumph over Karnataka’s Harshini Reddy. Teaming up with Spoorthi Biradar, Shroff annexed the girls under-18 doubles title 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 as well.

Shroff and silverware

Reporting on the event, the special correspondent of The Hindu of August 15, 2004 wrote from Mysore: "The local favorite Prateek Shantaraj bagged a double while the 13-year-old Kyra Shroff of Maharashtra clinched a triple and went on to hog the spotlight with sparkling performances in the title rounds...”

While great effort, a stringent training schedule and disciplined living have contributed to Shroff’s success, the family is looking for continuing sponsorship to help defray the considerable cost of professional coaching on a long-term basis.