Canas confirms for Tata Indian Open

Top Argentine Guillermo Canas on Monday confirmed his participation in the Tata Indian Open tennis championship, the Madras leg of the ATP Champions Race, to be held from December 31 to January 6.

Tournament director Sheila Maniam, in a statement, said the 24-year-old, who had a breakthrough season and finished 14th in the 2001 ATP Champions Race, will be vying for honours at the Nungambakkam stadium along with a host of other middle-level players but a formidable field, which includes Thomas Johansson, Fabrice Santoro, Andrei Pavel and Domnik Hrbaty.

Canas made a phenomenal jump this year after finishing 130th last year. He emerged as the top South American player after world no 2 Gustavo Kuerten.

In 2001, Canas, who had won over US $ 600,000, claimed his first singles title in Casablanca, a doubles crown at the Stuttgart Outdoor championship, reached the singles final in Hertogebosch, Stuttgart Outdoor and Vienna and the semifinals in Acapulco and Stockholm.

UNI