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Singles to be Paes` priority
Tennis ace Leander Paes said on Thursday that he was looking forward to the year 2002 for excelling in singles and will use the forthcoming Tata Open ATP championship at Chennai as a perfect hunting ground. `I am looking forward to the Tata Open, the first major ATP international event of the new year,` Paes commented after unveiling of the logo for the week-long Tata Open, which begins from December 31.
“Having recovered from the wrist injury I will like to concentrate on singles and not merely confine myself as a doubles player. In fact, the Chennai ATP will be the perfect hunting ground,” he said.
Paes said the ATP tournament would provide an ample opportunity to Indian players to compete with top international players like Andrei Pavel, Thomas Johansson, Fabrice Santoro and Dominik Hrbaty.
Tata executive director R Gopalakrishnan said the $4,00,000 ATP championship will have a prize money of $54,000 for the singles winner and $26,550 for the doubles winners.
Incidentally, the Tatas have replaced Kolkata-based ITC after the tobacco giant withdrew from sponsoring sports event early this year. Bureau Report
Paes said the ATP tournament would provide an ample opportunity to Indian players to compete with top international players like Andrei Pavel, Thomas Johansson, Fabrice Santoro and Dominik Hrbaty.
Tata executive director R Gopalakrishnan said the $4,00,000 ATP championship will have a prize money of $54,000 for the singles winner and $26,550 for the doubles winners.
Incidentally, the Tatas have replaced Kolkata-based ITC after the tobacco giant withdrew from sponsoring sports event early this year. Bureau Report