Aircel Chennai Open begins from January 2; Indian players hopeful for a win – Tennis News
World top tennis players are in India to take part in the 17th edition of the Aircel Chennai Open, scheduled to be played from January 2nd to 18th, 2012. The ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 250 event
will be held at the SDAT-Nungambakkam Tennis Stadium in Chennai.
World number nine, Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia has entered the tournament as the number one seeded player. Other contestants include Spaniard Nicolas Almagro at seed two, Swedish player Stanislas Wawrinka at seed three, Canadian Milos Raonic at four, Ivan
Dodig of Croatia at fifth seed, Italian Fabio Fognini at number six, Belgian player Xavier Malisse and Olivier Rochus at seed number seven and eight respectively. This tournament will be the first one to be held in India in 2012, featuring top class players
who will be aiming at a flying start to their New Year.
Since the tournament is being held in India, they do want their local players to excel and hopes are with Yuki Bhambri, who will face Karol Beck in the first round match. Another home favourite, Somdev Devvarman, will also be seen in action in the first
round when he faces Eric Prodon. This third local player will be Vishnu Vardhan who will face Ivan Dodig. Indian players have not performed well in ATP events apart from a handful of them but they will certainly desire to get a home ground advantage for winning
the tournament.
Swedish player, Stanislas Wawrinka will be the defending champion, as he won the 2011 Aircel Chennai Open by beating Belgium’s Xavier Malisse in the finals 7-5, 4-6, 6-1. The defending champion is looking hopeful in retaining his title but he will face some
resistance by the other top class performers. With Indian players in the spotlight, their fans desperately crave to see them winning in front of their home crowd.
While talking to the media prior to the start of the qualifying rounds, India’s Devvarman was excited to play defending champion Wawrinka in the second round the tournament. The Indian said, “It is still a long way before I play Stan (Wawrinka), Eric is
a good player so I have to be ready and I feel if I play well, I give myself a good chance to win. I am always happy to be in Chennai, I’ve been playing well and looking forward to starting the season in Chennai,”
In the doubles division of the Chennai Open, the teams participating in the tournament include the Indian team of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna. Other teams include the American duo of Scott Lipsky and Rajeev Ram, Indian player Leander Paes and his Serbian
teammate Janko Tipsarevic and Israeli team of Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram.
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