Wawrinka to give Chennai Open a miss

In a huge blow for the Chennai Open – South Asia's only ATP tournament – four-time champion Stan Wawrinka will not play the season-opening tournament next year scheduled to be held in Chennai from January 4-10. The three-time Grand Slam champion has, instead, opted to take part at the Brisbane International, which also takes place in the same week Down Under.

"I've heard such great things about the event and the beautiful city of Brisbane, and it feels like the right time to change-up the start of my season," Wawrinka, 31, said in a statement.

"Brisbane is certainly one of the best events on the tour, always attracting the top players," added the Swiss, who is slated to take the centre stage alongside the likes of Rafael Nadal and Milos Raonic in the Brisbane event.

Wawrinka first featured in the Chennai ATP event back in 2009, and has played in every edition since then. However, the fact that he won titles with any stiff challenge from 2014-16 – without dropping a set in the three years – explains why he might have looked for healthier competition this time around.