Marin Cilic’s Condition Creates a Cloud on Possible Australian Open Participation

Written by: Staff on 14th December 2011

Marin Cilic’s Condition Creates a Cloud on Possible Australian Open Participation

Croatian player Marin Cilic returns the ball to Spanish Marcel Granollers during their eighth final match of the tennis ATP Valencia Open at Agora building, in Valencia, Spain, 03 November 2011. EPA/KAI FOERSTERLING |

World no.21 Marin Cilic is suffering from a serious knee injury that has scuppered the Croatian’s hopes of winning a third Aircel Chennai Open title in four years and leaves him extremely doubtful of contesting the Australian Open.

Cilic, who won the St. Petersburg Open in late October but then lost in the early rounds of his last two tournaments of the year at Valencia and Paris-Bercy is undergoing treatment for a patella tendon injury at his off-season base, Bob Brett’s Academy in San Remo which is only a short journey away from his Monte Carlo apartment.

The calendar-opening event in Chennai, next month played from January 2 thru 8, is Cilic’s habitual start to his ATP World Tour schedule and the 2010 victory was the prelude to the 23 year-old’s best ever showing at a Grand Slam event, reaching the Australian Open semi-final.

Cilic contacted Chennai’s tournament director Fernando Soler earlier this week with his unfortunate news. “Having started the previous five seasons at the Chennai Open, the city is a home away from home for me,” he said. “Thankfully, I am recovering well from the tendon injury and I’ll surely be back next year.”

Chennai is the only Asian event in the preliminaries to the Australian Open and defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka will be looking to defend his title at the Nungambakkam Tennis Stadium. Year-ending world no.9 Janko Tipsarevic is set to be top seed with 10th ranked Nicolas Almagro and 20-year-old Canadian, Milos Raonic, the ATP World Tour’s 2011 Newcomer of the Year, the main draw cards.

Topics: Marin Cilic