Aircel Chennai Open Is Back !

There is Federer, there is Gasquet… And then there is single fisted back-hand… Woah! How did I even miss out on the only double Grand-slam Singles Champion that kick starts his ATP calendar with an Indian 250-point event? The Stanimal…  And yes, the McDowell (holding breath) Open circus which staged its first show in 1996 is all set to kick start Stanislas Wawrinka’s season yet again. Just remembering slightly hazily, it was also known as the Gold Flake Open and Tata Open before Aircel started sponsoring it and also later threatening pulling out of it. Whats with sports, smokes and liquor? Oh, ok its jus me…

It never ceases to amaze me how often the Chennai audience have tilted their loyalty over the years. It has always been on the player who, among the current draw, have visited the city most number of times. Ha, that’s an excellent way to follow a sport and pick a favorite player, isn’t it?

Go around and take a look at the courts around Chennai, very few of them will even have players waiting for their chance. They will almost always bear an empty look, deserted and waiting for professional coaches to teach kids later in the day – well did I say most of them? But come January, there is no way you can be inside the stadium and still say gully cricket is the city’s favorite sport.

And we haven’t even thought about Leander Paes, who is into his 26th year on the professional circuit. Jeez, does this guy ever become old, does he ever lose his energy, enthusiasm and fire? I cant think of another person who has put his country on the map, been such an ambassador of his profession and still been as less worshipped (oh he deserves to be, you bet) as this guy.

Ah, with about 10 days to go when the same courts where the Moyas, Nadals and Cilics have stood tall, Stan Wawrinka would be unleashing his powerful and best in class backhands and sledge-hammer forehands. If someone is in fact sponsoring my trip, I would be at the stadium cheering for Chennai!

Big fat-stat alert: Stanislas Wawrinka is the only person to win both Chennai Open and Australian Open in the same season.

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