The way to go

When you least expect them, the best of matches at the ATP Chennai Open take place on the outside courts of the Nungambakkam Tennis Stadium. Several outstanding and nail-biting clashes have taken place on Court 1 and Court 2, as they are called. Like the quarterfinal match between Fabrice Santoro and Karol Kucera during the 2002 edition.

This time a different kind of action, interesting nevertheless, happened on one of the outside courts. Yen-Hsun Lu was playing Lukas Lacko of Slovakia in the first round. With the securitymen indiscriminately allowing the spectators to enter the stands, the players found it disturbing their concentration. So much so that Lu’s coach Hordoff himself became the gatekeeper. He ensured that the spectators entered only after a game was over. The chair umpire was so happy that he was seen showing the thumbs-up sign to Hordoff.

Compiled by K. Keerthivasan