Janko Tipsarevic is set to play at the Aircel Chennai Open to begin the season. The Serb will be using a protected ranking to get into the main draw of the tournament. The former world number eight is currently ranked outside the world’s top 400 and his goal is trying to work his way back into the top 10.

Tipsarevic’s Battle With Injury

At the end of the 2014 season, the former world number eight underwent foot surgery. He came back after 17 months of inactivity this March at the Miami Open to play doubles with his good friend and countryman Novak Djokovic. In his following two tournaments at the US Men’s Clay Court Championships and the Romanian Open, the 31-year-old won his opening match before falling in the second round. The Serb was given wild cards into Wimbledon and the US Open. Both times he lost in the opening round but fared better at Flushing Meadows, taking Guillermo Garcia-Lopez to five sets.

The Chennai Open Field

Tipsarevic will join Stan Wawrinka and Kevin Anderson as players to kickoff their season in India. Wawrinka is the two-time defending champion in Chennai while the South African is making his debut in India. Plenty other members of the top 50 will also be heading to India as well.

Benoit Paire, Vasek Pospisil, Roberto Bautista Agut, Borna Coric, and Aljaz Bedene are amongst the others to kickoff their season at the Aircel Chennai Open. Paire has enjoyed a rejuvenating season where he’s broken into the world’s top 20 and is set to be seeded third behind Anderson and Wawrinka. Pospisil will want to take a step forward in singles next year after stagnating this year. Bautista Agut and countryman Guillermo Garcia-Lopez are set to also be seeded as well. The Spaniards are ranked inside the world’s top 30 and a solid run should ensure themselves a seed at the Australian Open.

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About the author
Noel John Alberto
Filipino-American sports journalist from Toms River, NJ. UMBC Graduate and aspiring physical therapist. Tennis editor and multi-sport coordinator for VAVEL USA. Writer for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Serie A sections of VAVEL UK. Sports aficionado. Host of the On The Line tennis podcast.