World No.14 Feliciano Lopez to make Chennai Open debut

Feliciano Lopez

CHENNAI, 15th October 2014:

World No.14 Feliciano Lopez has confirmed his participation in the 20th edition of the Aircel Chennai Open, scheduled to be played at Chennai’s SDAT Stadium from 5th to 11th January 2015. This will be the talented Spaniard’s first visit to the US $450,000 tournament, one that is India and South Asia’s only ATP World Tour tennis event and draws many of the world’s leading tennis stars.

Lopez will begin his 2015 season in Chennai after playing an impressive year of tennis where he successfully defended his AEGON International title and became the first player to reach consecutive grass-court finals prior to Wimbledon since 2001. He left a strong impression by reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon but went down valiantly to Stan Wawrinka. The Madrid native also reached the third round of the US Open for the fifth straight year, apart from defeating World No.2 Rafael Nadal at the Shanghai Rolex Masters.

The 33-year-old left-handed player has had an exciting tennis career after he turned professional in 1997, during which he won 4 career titles and reached his current career-high singles ranking of World No.14 this week. In 2005, he was the first male Spanish tennis player to reach the quarterfinals of Wimbledon since 1972. He repeated the feat in 2008 and 2011. Lopez is known as an exceptionally strong grass court player, with 3 quarterfinal runs at Wimbledon. He is also known for a big, strong serve and capacity to play balls repeatedly on the baseline.

Speaking about his confirmation, Feliciano Lopez said, “As South Asia’s only ATP World Tour tennis event, the Aircel Chennai Open presents a great platform to kick start the new season. I am glad to confirm my presence, look forward to playing in the city of Chennai, and begin the year on a positive note. Can’t wait to get there to play in front of my Indian fans!”

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. M.A Alagappan, President of Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA) said, “We are pleased to receive confirmation from Feliciano Lopez for Aircel Chennai Open 2015. We are sure Chennai’s tennis fans will get pleasure from his presence as much as he will enjoy starting his season in India. We wish him the very best.”

Ashu Jindal, Chief Operating Officer, IMG Reliance, said, “We are delighted to know that Spain’s Feliciano Lopez will play in the 20th edition of the Aircel Chennai Open. While we welcome regulars to the tournament each year, we feel honored to receive and host new entrants as well. We trust that Feliciano will enjoy playing in front of Chennai’s tennis enthusiasts.”

The title sponsor for the tournament is Aircel and the event is supported by a consortium of sponsors in the Platinum and Gold category, headed by the Government of Tamil Nadu.