For fans of India’s only ATP Tour event – the Chennai Open – a major disappointment awaits next year as the 2017 edition of the tournament will not feature its four-time champion Stan Wawrinka.
The three-time Grand Slam winner will instead begin his season at the Brisbane International, joining the likes of 14-time Major champion Rafael Nadal and WTA World No. 1 Angelique Kerber.
This will be the US Open winner Wawrinka’s debut at the tournament scheduled to be held between January 1-8. The 31-year-old Swiss has said in a statement that he feels that this is the right time for a change.
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“I’m excited to be heading to the Brisbane International for the first time in my career. I’ve heard such great things about the event and it feels like the right time to change up the start of my season.”
“It will mark the first time after eight successive years of play at the Chennai Open that the World No. 3 will not kick off his season in India. He won the title the past three years and had even called the event his ‘good luck charm.”
It has been reported that after emerging victorious in this year’s edition, Wawrinka did not confirm his participation for next year.
Next year’s Chennai Open is scheduled to begin on the 2nd of January, one of the first events in the ATP calendar of the year. The hard court even has been won by Wawrinka the last three years; this year’s victory took his tally to 4 Chennai Open titles, his first victory in 2011.
The Swiss will hope to have a confidence-boosting start at Brisbane to brighten up his chances for a second Australian Open title.
In 2014, he beat both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal en route to tasting Grand Slam glory for the first time. Since then, he added the French Open and the US Open titles with defeats over Djokovic in the finals of both.
Wawrinka can meet Djokovic in Shanghai Masters final
Wawrinka is currently in action at the Shanghai Masters where he is the third seed. Drawn in second-seeded Andy Murray’s half, he can once again meet the World No. 1 Djokovic in the summit clash.
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The Swiss will begin his campaign on Wednesday against Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund.
He has already qualified for the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals, beginning November 13.
