Stan Wawrinka to use Chennai Open for Grand Slam campaign

For Stan Wawrinka, the Chennai Open is not just another tournament, it is the event that has helped him launch his ATP ranking campaign in the last two years. He has been at No 3 or No 4 in the last 12 months. At the end of the year gone by,the Swiss finds himself in the company of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray as the top five in the ATP rankings. Interestingly,the quartet has been in the top five in six of the last eight year-end rating lists. 

The defending champion came for a round of practice for the first time this year on Monday at 4 p.m, on Centre Court for some time before moving to a side court paving the way for the start of this year’s opening match featuring Nicolas Almagro (Spain) and Ante Pavic (Croatia). 

The Swiss did not press much as the unusual January heat was probably too much for him. He is anyway preparing for a rare hat-trick of titles here and then a good beginning this year to his Grand Slam campaign later in the month in Australia. 

As Wawrinka took his time to serve and stroke at half-pace in his red T-shirt, against Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain, the talking point was again the heat this year following the flood here. The youngest player here Borna Coric of Croatia was quick to point this out to the organisers at the time of the draw. 

“I would be pleased if the organisers keep my matches in the night,” he said and it would be endorsed by a majority of the foreign players. 

Wawrinka and Benoit Paire of France were the doubles champions at the Chennai Open in 2013 but this time, both have different partners. Paire partners Austin Krajicek while Wawrinka has Guillermo Garcia Lopez of Spain as his partner.