The Aircel Chennai Open situates itself conveniently to pick off players on their swing from the continent to the antipodes.
Competing for the players' attention, however, are the ATP 250 events at Doha, which tantalises with its offer of greater prize money, and Brisbane, which provides a closer approximation of the conditions that will prevail at the impending Australian Open.
Stronger claim
The Chennai Open though, can boast of a stronger claim.
Marin Cilic, ranked No. 14, followed up his title triumph in last year's edition with a strong run at the Australian Open, making it to the semifinals while disposing of Fabrice Santoro, Bernard Tomic, Stanislas Wawrinka, Juan Martín del Potro and Andy Roddick along the way. Then came his title defence at Zagreb and a first Tour final on clay (Munich).
Similarly, Wawrinka built on his Chennai final appearance with a title triumph at Casablanca, only his second win in eight ATP finals.
He then made it to the quarters at Rome (losing to Rafael Nadal), semis at Belgrade and fourth round at the French Open (losing to Roger Federer).
At the U.S. Open, he went out in the quarterfinals to Mikhail Youzhny in five sets — a match he should have won. Long story short, success here seems to stick.
“Since 2007, I have been starting the year here, no doubt it is the ideal warm up for the season's first Major,” says Cilic.
The converse
The proposition works, and apparently, so does its converse. Contrast the relative success of the finalists with the fortunes of Robin Soderling, top seed in the last edition.
Arriving on the day of the main draw, his commitments at Abu Dhabi having held him back until then, Soderling was promptly sent packing in the first round by Robby Ginepri.
“Everything went wrong, but the heat was not a factor,” the Swede said then.
“It is hopefully just a one-off thing.” Just that it wasn't. He went out in the first round of the Australian Open to unseeded Spaniard Marcel Granollers. Continuity seems to be the key, and this is where the Chennai Open scores.
The lesson doesn't seem to be lost on even someone as green as Yuki Bhambri.
“Australia is hot and humid like this (Chennai). The world over Christmas is celebrated in snow but Australia is in a heat wave,” he says.
Being a wild card here and the 2008 Australian Open boys' singles champion, Bhambri, 18, should know.
“The difference is in the courts... they're a little faster here as they re-lay the surface every year in Australia. One should ideally come in a couple of days early to get used to the heat,” Bhambri finishes with his mantra for success.
