Zarina Diyas Makes Comeback to WTA Tour in KL

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas will be making a comeback, after a seven-month absence from the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour, in ALYA Malaysian Open at TPC Kuala Lumpur from Feb 27 to March 5. As a result of her absence from the circuit due to right wrist injury in the first round of Wimbledon and subsequently undergoing a surgery - Diyas' ranking dropped 75 rungs to world number 174. Diyas, who achieved her ranking of world number 31st in 2015, is eager to make 'baby steps' towards returning to her favourite tournament here this weekend. She has made four appearances in Kuala Lumpur and her best show was reaching the quarterfinals in 2014 when she took Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova to three sets before exiting. The tournament will start Saturday with the qualifying round for which 24 players are vying for eight spots to the main draw. Malaysia will be represented by Jawairiah Noordin and S.Thieviya in the qualifying round. -- BERNAMA