Chennai, Jan 4 (IANS) Not surprisingly, second seed Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland was cautiously optimistic of his chances on the eve of the ATP Chennai Open tennis tournament commencing here Monday.
The 23-year old, famous for the doubles gold medal he won partnering Roger Federer at the Beijing Olympics last year, felt that the Chennai Open being the first tournament of the year could be tricky and that he needed to be at the top of his game to even progress, much less win the title.
'First tournament in any season is never easy. But I hope it is going to be better than last season,' said the 13th ranked player at a media conference here Sunday.
'The draw is okay. I am playing a qualifier in the first round, but one has to be twice ready for the first match,' he added.
Looking ahead to the season, Wawrinka hoped to make it to the top eight bracket. 'I hope to win the Masters in London this year. I will play my best to be in the top eight.'
He felt that the weather could be a factor since he has arrived here from Switzerland where it is winter and snowing, but he hoped to acclimatise to the local conditions with some rest and of course, practice.
Last year, Wawrinka warmed up for the new season by playing in the Doha tournament where he reached the final before losing to Andy Murray.
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