After missing the 2012 ATP Chennai Open due to a patellar tendon injury, Marin Cilic is eagerly looking forward to his return to the 2013 tournament.
Speaking to The Hindu, the Croat revealed his reasons behind choosing Chennai over other venues for his preparation for the Australian Open.
“I always feel pretty good in Chennai, have won it twice and it gives me confidence to start a year with several wins. Also, the weather there helps me in preparing for the hot days in Australia,” said the 24-year-old. He also said that the players felt more welcome at the Chennai Open.
After finishing 2012 strongly, the Croat aims to achieve unprecedented success on the tour next year. Focusing on his goals for 2013, Cilic said, “I’ll try to win 50 matches next season since I have never touched that figure within a year before.”
Looking back to the 2012 season, the 24-year-old was pleased with the way he performed at the major tournaments after coming back from a long injury lay-off. After making the last eight at the U.S. Open, the Croat is now focused on improving upon the weaker aspects of his games.
“I feel that my serve improved last season but there is still room for it to get better. Also I hope to work on my defence as that can help me to develop my allround game,” said Cilic.
