In a major blow to Indian hopes at the Chennai Open, Yuki Bhambri announced on Sunday, the 27th of December, that he has withdrawn from India’s premier ATP 250 tournament on.
The World No. 93 made the announcement on both his Facebook and Twitter accounts, citing that his ‘recovery has taken longer than expected.’
“Unfortunately, my recovery has taken longer than I expected and so will not be able to play in Chennai this year. Going to keep working to be ready for Australia,” the top-ranked Indian wrote, aiming to be ready for the year’s first Grand Slam.
The news is disappointing for his fans given that the Delhi player was coming off his best ever season on the ATP Tour. In 2015, the 23-year-old cracked the top 100 for the first time,reaching a career-high ranking of 88. The 2009 Australian Open juniors winner clinched Challenger titles at Shanghai and Pune besides reaching the finals of three other Challenger events.
The stellar 2015 season also saw him qualify for the Australian Open, where he lost to eventual runner-up Andy Murray in the first round.
The Aircel Chennai Open, which begins on January 4, 2016 will still see a competitive field in its 20th edition.
French Open champion Stan Wawrinka will return to defend his title as he aims for success for the fourth time in Chennai. The other big names vying for the title are World No. 12 Kevin Anderson, World No. 19 Benoit Paire and former finalist Roberto Bautista Agut.
