Sporting events with permanent slots on the calendar always possess a certain romantic feel. Chennai Open, which would often usher in the New Year, was one such event; like the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, or the Christmas period fixtures in the Premier League.
With the tournament now set to be reborn as the Maharashtra Open in Pune, there were a flood of memories gushing out from fans and players alike.
The tournament has always been close to the heart of tennis fans in the city. A recap of the memorable events during its 21-year history.
1998: Boris Becker was undoubtedly the superstar of the edition. Though he lost in the second round, fans thronged the stadium to have a look at their beloved star.
2002: Though Paradorn Srichapahan lost in the final to Guillermo Canas, the Thai endeared himself to the crowd and showed that he was a player to watch out for. Srichaphan went on to win in 2003
2005: A 6000-strong crowd witnessed a humdinger of a final between Moya and Srichaphan. The Spaniard won 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) in two hours and 35 minutes.
2008: A classic contest between Moya and Nadal that lasted more than two hours in the semi finals ended with the latter emerging winner.
2009: Somdev Devvarman's sensational run - he beat the likes of Moya and Ivo Karlovic en route to the final - met an anti-climatic end as the Indian lost the fiercely fought singles final to Croatian Marin Cilic.
2012: The ATP's newcomer of 2011, Canadian Milos Raonic, made his debut memorable by edging out top seed Janko Tipsarevic in a marathon that lasted three hours and 16 minutes.
2014: Ramkumar Ramanathan played his maiden main draw match at an ATP event. He stretched Somdev Devvarman to a three-setter before losing 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a first-round match that spanned over two hours.
2016 Stanislas Wawrinka made history, winning his fouth singles final