Croatia`s Marin Cilic, a two-time winner, and Swiss ace Stanislas Wawrinka have confirmed their participation in the 2013 Aircel ATP Chennai Open tennis tournament.
|Last Updated: Nov 19, 2012, 04:42 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Chennai: Croatia`s Marin Cilic, a two-time winner, and Swiss ace Stanislas Wawrinka have confirmed their participation in the 2013 Aircel ATP Chennai Open tennis tournament.
Cilic, ranked No.15, and Wawrinka (17) join two top-10 players Tomas Berdych and Janko Tipsarevic in the 32-man main draw of the tournament that is to be held from Dec 31 to Jan 6.
The six-feet six-inch tall Cilic won the singles titles in 2009 and 2010. He was the fourth seed last year, but suffered a patella tendon injury which ruled him out of the tournament as well as the season`s first Grand Slam, the Australian Open.
After recovering, the right-hander gained momentum by reaching the Munich final in April this year. In July and captured his eighth ATP World Tour title at the ATP Vegeta Croatia Open Umag.
The 24-year-old Cilic, who has begun five previous seasons in Chennai, registered his career high ATP ranking of nine February 22, 2010 with his best-ever performance in a Grand Slam, reaching the semi-finals in the 2010 Australian Open.
He won his first Chennai Open title in 2009 defeating India`s Somdev Devvarman and followed it in 2010 beating Wawrinka in the final.
Cilic said in a statement: "I am delighted to be back in Chennai, especially since I could not participate in last year`s event due to an injury. I have chosen to start my five previous seasons here and have had great success as a lead up to the Australian Open. It is always a pleasure to play in Chennai, a city that has grown to become a home away from home for me."
Wawrinka, who will be playing his fifth Chennai Open, is eyeing a winning start like in 2011. His greatest achievement till date was when he won the gold medal for Switzerland in the men`s doubles event in Beijing Olympics, partnering multiple Grand Slam winning Roger Federer.
Hiten Joshi, CEO of Tamil Nadu Tennis Association, said: "It is a privilege to have Marin Cilic back for the 2013 edition. Also it will be good to see Wawrinka back in action this year.
"The crowds in Chennai love and support them as if they were local boys!"
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.