Chennai: India’s only ATP 250 tournament Chennai Open have confirmed the participation of Russian and Spanish tennis stars Mikhail Youzhny and Tommy Robredo respectively, in its 22nd edition, which is set to get underway on January 2, next year.
The tournament authorities confirmed to Deccan Chronicle that Bosnian player Damir Dzumhur will also be taking part in the Chennai Open.
Although Youzhny and Robredo are believed to be in the twilight of their respective careers, they are expected to be among the top players to enter the tournament.
Youzhny had in fact, won the Chennai Open eight years back, dominating 14-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal 6-0, 6-1. That proved to be a great year for the Russian, who managed to break into the top-10 ATP rankings (no. 8) in 2008.
Robredo is also a former top-10 ranker, reaching as high as 6th on the ATP rankings a decade ago.
Dzumhur, on the other hand, is one of the younger players to take part in the tournament. The 24-year-old had won bronze in the 2010 youth Olympics in Singapore.
Two-time Chennai Open champion Marin Cilic had also confirmed his participation in the tournament on Sunday. Cilic remains the joint-second highest tournament winner in the tournament, winning the Chennai Open twice (2009 and 2010). Three-time Grand Slam champion Stanislas Wawrinka remains the highest winner of Chennai Open titles – four (2011, 2014, 2015, 2016).
