Rafael Nadal Begins campaign in Chennai Open
by Manish Kumar Joshi
Top seed and French Open champion Rafael Nadal has started his campaign in the $ 436,000 Chennai Open ATP tennis
championship from December 31. The tournament is underway in one of the most beautiful cities of India.
The Chennai Open has been one of India's largest tennis events since 1997. It is one of two ATP Tour tennis events
there, the other being the Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open which is held in Mumbai. The event was started in 1996
as the Gold Flake Open. Initially played in April, it was moved to the first week of January in 2000.
The event name was changed to TATA Open in 2002 following a change in the title sponsor. The event is currently
co-sponsored by the Government of Tamil Nadu for five years beginning from 2005. The Games are played at the
hardcourt SDAT Tennis Stadium in Nungambakkam.
Through its 12-year history, the tournament has sought the presence of foreign players, most prominent among them
Spain's Carlos Moya, to make up for a thin local presence. In some ways Moya’s consistent presence has lent the
event shape and lifted it out of public anonimity.
Nadal’s presence in the 2007 Chennai Open ATP tournament is the highlight. Improved facilities lead to better draws!
Another well-known player, twitchy, hyperactive and unpredictable, Marcos Baghdatis is a showman. His tennis is
thrilling, sometimes bordering on the idiosyncratic, but never short of entertaining. Should he last through the
course of the tournament, a visual treat is guaranteed.
| Chennai open |
| Location |
Chennai, India |
| Venue |
SDAT Tennis Stadium |
| Category |
International Series |
| Surface |
Hard / Outdoors |
| Draw |
32S/32Q/16D |
| Prize Money |
$436,000 |