Aircel Chennai Open 2012 announces its Wild Card entrees
Vishnu Vardhan, Yuki Bhambri and David Goffin awarded Wild Cards into Singles Main Draw of Aircel Chennai Open 2012
CHENNAI, 22 DECEMBER, 2011 - Indians Vishnu Vardhan and Yuki Bhambri are among three players to be awarded wild cards into the singles main draw of the Aircel Chennai Open 2012 to be held at the SDAT Nungambakkam Tennis Stadium from January 2 to 8, 2012.
Promising Belgian David Goffin was selected as the third wild card entry for India's only and South Asia's leading ATP World Tour event that will see in action an impressive line-up of Indian and International players including world number 9 Janko Tipsarevic and world number 10 Nicolas Almagro.
Nineteen-year-old Bhambri lost to Russian Alexander Kudryavtev in the opening round in the previous edition after he was handed a wild card on the basis of his spectacular run in the junior circuit in 2009 when he became the first Indian to win the junior Australian Open, emerged the junior world number one and was rewarded with a Davis Cup debut the same year.
Like 345th-ranked Bhambri, promising Vardhan will be looking to register his first win in the main draw of the Aircel Chennai Open after falling at the qualifying hurdle in the previous two editions and in the opening round in 2007.
World number 318 Vardhan won bronze in men's team event and the mixed doubles silver at the 2010 Asian Games and the 24-year-old made his Davis Cup debut in 2008.
Goffin, 21 years old and ranked 174 in the world, was rewarded with a wild card after his impressive streak in the previous edition where he rose from the qualifiers to the pre-quarterfinals before going down to Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka, the eventual champion.
Mr. M.A. Alagappan, Chairman, Organizing Committee of the Aircel Chennai Open, said: "It gives us immense pleasure to give Yuki, Vardhan and Goffin wild cards for the singles main draw. At the Aircel Chennai Open we have always endeavored to provide Indian players the platform to compete at the highest level and I am confident these young players will make good use of the opportunity."
Fernando Soler, Tournament Director and Head of Tennis IMG Worldwide, said: "We constantly look at ways to promote domestic talent and we are happy to award Yuki and Vardhan wild cards into the singles main draw. The crowd support should work to their advantage. "
While the tickets will be still sold online via the official website www.aircelchennaiopen.org and www.bookmyshow.com, the tournament's ticketing partner, the on-site sale of season tickets will start from 23rd December 2011 onwards at the SDAT Nungambakkam Tennis Stadium, Chennai. The organisers have announced that daily tickets will sold at the venue on match days and 24 hours before online for respective match days.
