Recently-crowned Wimbledon champion Andy Murray may kickstart his 2014 campaign in Chennai. The big names in men’s tennis seem to be changing the pattern of their ATP season opener as Roger Federer has already confirmed he will compete in Brisbane for the first time in his career.
While the Swiss maestro has chosen the Queensland capital to prepare for the season’s first grand slam — the Australian Open — Murray is believed to be in talks with organisers of the Chennai Open.
The Scot, who ended Britain’s long wait for a men’s champion at Wimbledon this year, played at an exhibition in Abu Dhabi before starting his 2013 season with a title triumph at Brisbane, which coincides with two other 250 tournaments in Chennai and Doha.
Murray was recently roped in by Mahesh Bhupathi’s sports management firm, Globosport, with an aim to develop the tennis star’s off-court interests in Asia and West Asia. With the International Tennis Premier League, also promoted by Bhupathi’s firm, set to take off at the end of the 2014 season, sources say Murray’s presence in Chennai would help tap the Indian market.
Not ruling out talks with Murray, Karti P. Chidambaram, a key organiser of the Chennai Open and vice-president of the All India Tennis Association, said a definitive list of players would be out after the US Open in the first week of September.
“We are always seeking out the best players for Chennai. We are open to the prospect of the Wimbledon champion opening his season in Chennai,” Karti said.
Murray had declared after Wimbledon that he would once again be part of the cash-rich exhibition in the UAE capital along with world no.1 Novak Djokovic. After the three-day Abu Dhabi event which concludes on December 28, Murray may land in Chennai where the main draw starts on December 29. The 28-player draw provides a bye for the top four seeds and Murray will get a three-day break before his first match on January 1.