Chennai Open preview

Chennai Open
Location: Chennai, India
Dates: January 5-11, 2009
Draw Size: 32
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $450,000; men’s singles champion: $73,000
2008 Singles Final: Mikhail Youzhny, RUS, def. Rafael Nadal, ESP, 6-0, 6-1
Official Web site: http://www.chennaiopen.org/

Top story lines:
1. Will two-time Chennai Open champion Carlos Moya win a third title in India?
2. Can 2008 Tennis Masters Cup finalist Nikolay Davydenko open up his 2009 season with a title?
3. Will the “King of Aces” Ivo Karlovic serve his way beyond last years quarterfinal performance?

Justin’s notable first round match-ups:
1. No. 8 Marcel Granollers vs. Hyung-Taik Lee (First meeting; Granollers defeated James Blake in the championship match in Houston in 2008; Granollers is currently ranked No. 56; Lee won two challenger events at the end of 2008; Lee defeated David Ferrer and Jarkko Nieminen en route to a fourth round performance at the 2008 Masters Series Indian Wells. Lee is currently ranked No. 107.

Potential notable late round match:
No. 2 Stanislas Wawrinka vs. No. 5 Rainer Schuettler, Quarterfinals
Wawrinka won 38 singles matches in 2008, finishing the year ranked No. 13
Wawrinka defeated Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Marat Safin en route to a runner-up finish at the 2008 Masters Series Rome event
Schuettler won 21 singles matches in 2008, finishing the year ranked No. 33
After reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon, Schuettler was a semifinalist in Beijing, while also reaching the quarterfinals in Kitzbuhel, Tokyo, Stockholm and St. Petersburg

No. 4 Ivo Karlovic vs. No. 6 Carlos Moya, Quarterfinals
Moya leads 4-0, with a 3-0 edge on hard courts
Moya won their last meeting on hard courts in Metz, France in straight sets
Karlovic reached a career-best ranking of No. 14 in August 2008.

Watch out for…
1. No. 3 Marin Cilic (Winner in New Haven; won 37 matches in 2008 including victories over Andy Roddick, Fernando Gonzalez and Tommy Robredo; reached the fourth round at the Australian Open and Wimbledon; currently ranked No. 23)

Champion prediction:
Justin: No. 4 Ivo Karlovic