But for the country's women players, the WTA points and the promised purse is turning out to be a Saharan mirage. As reigning National champion Manisha Malhotra puts it, ``tournaments for women enter the calendar and they get cancelled.''

The women players have repeatedly argued, in vain, that the itinerary is skewed heavily in favour of men. Former National champion Arati Ponappa's retirement announcement yesterday, at 22, citing lack of a National circuit, has only brought into focus this long-standing grouse. Janaki Krishnamurthy, women's representative of the Indian Tennis Players Association (IPTA), said, ``The men easily get 20 weeks of tournaments in India every year, while the women barely manage four.''

Last May,IPTA had brought this grouse to AITA's notice. A petition, signed by all the top women players, stated they were being sidelined, and requested the AITA to up-the-ante for women. Nothing seems to have come of it.

Apart from a $75,000 Challenger in Delhi in December, there has been just one $20,000 satellite. Another $ 20,000 satellite, originally marked for February, is slated in the gruelling heat of April-May. After that, there is nothing in sight till the next hard court Nationals, in October. A $50,000 Challenger, scheduled for March, has disappeared from the radar screen. Ditto for the annual Shivaji Park hard court for women. Total prize money: $1,15,000.

In contrast, the men are having a cushy time. A $25,000 satellite in October was followed by four Futures (Calcutta, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Mumbai) of $10,000 each, two $25,000 Challengers (Ahmedabad, Mumbai) and two $50,000 Challengers (Calcutta, Lucknow). That will be followed by the biggie, the $435000 Gold Flake in Chennai, another $25,000Challenger in Delhi (both April) and one more $25,000 satellite in May. In between, there have been four AITA tournaments. Total prize money: $6,75,000!

Janaki said, ``When I met the men players in Imphal during the National Games, they were coming from a hectic schedule. Even AITA ranking tournaments offer so much more for men. The top prize in a AITA women's tournament in Kochi was Rs 6,500. That would not even buy me a return fare.'' Janaki says the women deserve a few $10,000 Futures, if not Challengers. ``At present we have neither a major National circuit nor a major international circuit.''

Manisha, who won a triple title at the Grasscourt Nationals in Calcutta last week, and is the second-highest woman in the WTA rankings (behind Nirupama Vaidyanathan) agrees with Janaki. ``There are 9-10 tournaments for men, we struggle to have two or three. When the AITA announces tournaments for men, it happens.'' Manisha, who is ranked around 500 on the WTA list, plans to travel to USA and England to play fourtournaments each this summer. ``If I could play the same tournaments at home, it would have been much better.''When contacted, AITA secretary Ramesh Desai rejected the claims of the women players. He said, ``I think there are enough international tournaments happening. Players like Arati are complaining because they are on the fringe and are not doing well.'' When asked if he knew how many tournaments were held for women since the May petition, Desai said he could not say off-hand. Desai added AITA was committed to hold more international tournaments, as that was the only way tennis could boom in India.

But it appears women will continue to be shortcharged. The WTA calendar for the rest of the year has no tournament scheduled in India.

Any scheduling has to be done at least six months in advance, a source revealed.