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1/1/11 7:33 PM | Ricky Dimon
The 2011 ATP season is soon to be underway, and the Aircel Chennai Open helps kick off the action. No. 2 seed Marin Cilic hopes to emerge from a second-half slump in 2010 to capture his third consecutive Chennai title.
Two-time defending champion Marin Cilic headlines this year's Aircel Chennai Open along with Tomas Berdych, Stanislas Wawrinka, and Richard Gasquet. The four top seeds are aiming to start their 2011 campaigns in fine form as they gear up for the Australian Open, which is a mere two weeks away.
Cilic beat India's top-ranked singles player, Somdev Devvarman, in the 2009 final before getting the best of Wawrinka in the 2010 title match. The 6'6'' Croat faces a tricky opener this time around against Kei Nishikori. It will be an intriguing rematch of a second-round thriller at last season's U.S. Open, where Nishikori prevailed in five sets after four hours and 59 minutes of play.
Cilic and familiar foe Janko Tipsarevic are both in the bottom quarter of the draw. They have faced each other two straight years in Chennai, with Cilic prevailing in the 2009 quarterfinals and the 2010 semis. Overall, Cilic is 5-0 lifetime against Tipsarevic. The Serb opens with Eduardo Schawnk and could have the crowd against him in a potential second-round clash against Indian wild card Yuki Bhambri.
India has two other hopefuls in the field; Devvarman and wild card Rohan Bopanna. Devvarman and Bopanna are on a collision course for the second round, but Bopanna--a doubles specialist--would have to upset Wawrinka in round one. If Wawrinka makes his way to the quarters, he is in line for a meeting with eighth-seeded Robin Haase.
Berdych, the No. 1 seed, has a good chance of avoiding the fate of last year's Chennai top seed Robin Soderling, who lost his opener to Robby Ginepri. Berdych begins against clay-courter Frederico Gil and should have little trouble before a possible quarterfinal match against No. 5 seed Jeremy Chardy.
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Hopefully Cilic can find his good form for this new season. He has so many points to defend at the beginning of the season, he better work hard to defend them, if not he'll fall further down the rankings. I hope for a Cilic vs Berdych final.
luckystar , 1/2/11 10:21 AM