Marat Safin to debut on ATP Champions Tour at Chengdu Open 2011 – Tennis News
Russian Marat Safin is to play his debut match on the ATP Champions Tour at the Chengdu Cup in China from the 27th to 30th of October 2011. The Champions Tour is a 10 event series and starts on the 18th
of February with the Delray Beach Florida International Championships.
Marking up for the event Safin said,” The Chengdu Open is my first ATP Champions Tour event and I am really looking forward to returning to China and to playing in a new Chinese city, friendly people and your giant pandas. China
has always been a very welcoming destination for me. I have memories of many great matches in Beijing and Shanghai”.
Safin will come face-to-face with his oldfangled adversary Pete Sampras at the Sichuan International Tennis Center, whom he flogged in the final of the US Open in 2000. Since the event is a round-robin group and the two have been
drawn in the same cadre, it is guaranteed that the Russian will be clashing with the American.
The 31 year-old Safin has come nose-to-nose against the 40 year-old Sampras seven times, the first being in 1998, then thrice in 2000, twice in 2001 and the most recent of their meeting was in 2002. The last time they met was on
hard courts of the Australian Open during the fourth round where Marat Safin had survived two sets but lost in the third to an en-route victory in the fourth. By clogging the last match Safin was able to lead in the head-to-head with a 4-3 record. Whether
Safin will be able to gain an upper hand or will the legendary Sampras equal out the score is yet to be seen.
Last year Sampras lost in the final against Greg Rusedski, was also excited to compete in the event and to win the title said, “I’m looking forward to coming back to Chengdu, last year I had a great time but I left some unfinished
business, losing in the final. This year I want to win the event. It is a very tough field and these guys are still playing very well. I’m looking forward to coming back, hopefully to win the event.”
The two will also be facing the likes of Wayne Ferreira and Younes El Aynaoui in their group, while, the lineup also consists of Carlos Moya, Thomas Enqvist, Paradorn Srichaphan, last but not the least Mark Philippoussis. The event
will take place over four days, with the pinnacle player in each group meeting in the final.
This year the tournament directors have added a little flavor to the event, by deciding to hold a forty five minute mixed double or doubles event with amateur Chinese partners in order to attract local fans and augment participation
of the local crowds.
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