From Jan 3rd to 9th you’ll be able to take in some world-class tennis at the Chennai Open at the SDAT Tennis Stadium in Chennai, India. The ATP World Tour tournament is very popular with both players and fans and this year’s event promises to be the same as it features some of the circuit’s best players.
The 2011 tournament will feature ATP seventh-ranked Toma Berdych, who was a Wimbledon finalist in 2010, and two-time winner of the Chennai open Marin Cilic, who’s ranked number 14.
The Chennai Open has been the biggest tennis tournament in India since 1997. It has attracted some of the world’s best players of the years and many of them return again and again.
Some of the most famous players to participate include Boris Becker, Rafael Nadal, Richard Krajicek, Carlos Moya, Yvgeny Kafelnikov, Byron Black, Patrick Rafter, and India’s own Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes.
The event was originally called the Gold Flake Open in 1996 and was renamed in 2002 to the Tata Open. It was renamed again in 2005 as the Chennai Open and is now officially known as the Aircel Chennai Open after its main sponsor.
There are 32 players in the men’s singles event, including three wild cards and four qualifiers. The men’s doubles event has 16 teams. The tournament is typically held during the first week in January, making it the first ATP event of the year.
For more information, visit www.aircelchennaiopen.org/2011/
