Game Set and Match, Aircel Chennai Open 2010!

The New Year in Chennai is set to begin on a very exciting note and tennis enthusiasts in India can once again look forward to some riveting tennis action. Aircel Chennai Open 2010, India’s only ATP World Tour Tennis event is now in an unprecedented 15th year and will be played at the SDAT Tennis Stadium at Nungambakam, Chennai from Jan 4 till Jan 10, 2010. The qualifying rounds will be held on Jan 2-3, 2010. The USD 450,000 Aircel Chennai Open 2010 will be cynosure of all the tennis lovers around the world and it will feature an impressive line-up of stars both Indian and International who will vie for the one of the first ATP title of the new season. The week long tournament will be telecast live on Ten Sports and Zee Sports.

Leading the field is Robin Soderling who is currently World No. 9 and is the first and only tennis player to defeat Rafael Nadal in the French Open 2009. Infact he again defeated Nadal in straight sets earlier this week at the ATP World Tour Finals. Soderling is joined by the defending champion Marin Cilic who is currently World No. 14. Also joining the competition is, World No. 21 (World No. 9 in June 2008), Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) who won the 2008 Beijing Olympics Gold Medal in Doubles (with Roger Federer).

Completing the star-brigade in Singles draw are: Janko Tipsarevic and Dudi Sela.

Other well-known players include Simon Greul, Rajeev Ram, Lukas Lacko, Michael Russell, Rainer Schuettler , Theimo De Bakker, Yen—Hsun Lu, Robby Ginepri, Daniel Brands and Michael Berrer amongst others.

The impressive field for Singles Draw of Aircel Chennai Open 2010 boasts of 3 top 25 players. Also, as many as 15 players are from top 100 players, thus making it a powerful and impressive field.

Speaking from London through Video conference, Mr. Fernando Soler, Tournament Director and Head of Tennis IMG Worldwide, said, “We are pleased that the event will continue to deliver quality players for the Indian crowd. Aircel Chennai Open 2010 will showcase a fascinating game of world-class tennis with top players and some exciting upcoming young talents slugging it out for the coveted titles. We are thankful to all the sponsors for their support to this mega event.”

Announcing the field, Mr. Ravi Krishnan, MD, South Asia, IMG India, the owners and organizers of this international ATP tennis event, said, “Aircel Chennai Open 2010 has one of the most open and competitive line-ups we have had in the history of the tournament. The field boasts of 5 players who are in Top 50 and all of them have the potential of winning the Championship. An interesting point to note is that we have 7 players in the draw who have been in top 30 in their careers that including Rainer Schuettler, Dudi Sela, Robby Ginepri, Marcel Granollers. This field demonstrates the strength of Aircel Chennai Open 2010 and its position as the premiere tennis event in this part of the world.”

Over the Video Conference Mr. M.A. Alagappan, President, Tamil Nadu Tennis Association TNTA said, “Chennai is the hub of Indian tennis and Aircel Chennai Open has played an important role in nurturing tennis talent in the country. Into its Crystal Year, the event has become one of the biggest global sporting events of South Asia. Representing Tamil Nadu tennis, our objective has always been to work with IMG and AITA to offer world class tennis spectacle in the country. Today, we see participation from top players in the world like Robin Soderling, Marin Cilic, and Stanislas Wawrinka in Aircel Chennai Open 2010 which will further enhance the popularity and recognition of the tournament amongst tennis fans and set an unparalleled benchmark in South Asia.”

This year at the Aircel Chennai Open 2010, the crowd would witness some interesting contests especially if it involves Robin Soderling and defending champion Marin Cilic.

There is another interesting element to this year’s Aircel Chennai Open 2010. Four players each from USA and Germany will showcase the domination of their respective countries in Chennai. These star players will bring in a touch of glamour to some high-voltage tennis action on courts.

Mr. Karti. P. Chidambaram – Chairman Tournament Organizing Committee and Vice President, All India Tennis Association (AITA) added, “ Aircel Chennai Open has put India into the top league of tennis playing nations in the world and we hope that this year the event extends its reach to a wider audience with the support of promotional activities from Aircel. Tamil Nadu Tennis Association’s unrelenting support for this tournament since its inception has helped in identifying and nurturing talent among many youngsters thereby paving the way for champions from India like Leander, Mahesh and Somdev. It would be relevant to point out that our tournament has become a permanent fixture in Chennai’s annual cultural calendar.”

The tournament is sponsored by Aircel - title sponsor and by a consortium of sponsors in the Platinum, Gold & Partner category,