The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Chennai Open: first day first show

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Tuesday, Jan 01, 2008
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Chennai Open: first day first show

Staff Reporter

‘Biggies’, eager spectators get tournament off to an exciting start

— Photo: M. Vedhan

big draw: (From left) Tennis stars Prakash Amritraj, Marcos Baghdatis, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Moya salute the crowd at the inauguration of Chennai Open 2008.

CHENNAI: The action began with a ‘biggie’ at the Sports Development Authority tennis stadium here on Monday with the reigning king of the Chennai Open, Xavier Mallise, taking the centre court to play the first match of the tournament against Gilles Muller of Luxemburg.

The defending champion was driven into the stadium on a roofless autorickshaw — the fitting palanquin to match the identity of Chennai city. He won the match of course, but that is another story.

After all, could tennis lovers in Chennai have asked for a better way to welcome the New Year? The inauguration ceremony had the four biggest draws — Rafael Nadal, Carlos Moya, Marcos Baghdatis and Prakash Amritraj — saluting the crowd, much to the delight of the spectators.

The release of the white and green balloons after the chief guest, Indian Bank general manager Jayanthilal Jain’s speeches and a short session of formal introductions by Vijay Amritraj marked the beginning of the tennis carnival amidst enthusiastic cheers.

Still early evening outside and with traffic and parking not too difficult to manage, the guards were prepared for everything. “We are taking precautions because it is New Year’s Eve and we expect many more people to come in later tonight. We are also making sure that the queues are orderly and people can park without any hassle,” he said. Excited kids could not wait to get into the stadium. Ask them who they wanted to see and pat came the reply “Nadal of course!”

The crowd was a mix, most of them families. Some though seemed like veteran tennis fans with a knowing air written all over their faces and binoculars so as to not miss a minute of the action. The cheerleaders, however, were rather disappointing.

For those wanting to take a break, there are plenty of food stalls. Also worth a visit are some of the sponsor booths. You might not be able to afford a real Mercedes, but a small model one might just be the ideal New Year present.

Another week of great tennis and carnival atmosphere has just begun.

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