Top 5 singles players to watch at the 5th Tata Open Maharashtra Tennis Championships

The upcoming edition, which will take place at the Balewadi Stadium from December 31 to January 7, promises a jam-packed week for fans. Here are the top five players to keep an eye on at the tournament.
Cilic, Marin (17th Word)
Marin Cilic, the Croatian star, will make his long-awaited return to the Tata Open Maharashtra after four years, having reached the semi-finals in 2018. The former World No. 3 will be a strong contender for the title, having arrived in Pune in blistering form, having reached the semi-finals of the French Open earlier this year. In addition, at the Adelaide International 2022, he won his 550th game, making him the only active player to do so. Cilic previously won the tournament twice, in 2009 and 2010, both times in Chennai. He’d like to add another trophy to his collection, which already includes the 2014 US Open title.
Ruusuvuori, Emil (World No. 40)
Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland had an impressive performance in the recent Tata Open Maharashtra, where he reached his first ATP Tour final before losing to Portugal’s Joao Sousa in the title match. Since then, the 23-year-old has risen through the ranks, rising from World No. 87 to his current career-high ranking of 40. The No. 1 Finnish singles player has also competed in all four Grand Slam tournaments and for Finland in the Davis Cup. After missing out on the title the last time, Ruusuvuori will be eager to finish the job this time and win his first ATP Tour title.
Bhambri, Yuki (World No. 553)
Yuki Bhambri, the former junior World No. 1, is the lone Indian to qualify for the fifth edition of the Tata Open Maharashtra. He made the cut based on his 127 protected rankings. After missing nearly two years due to injury, the Indian made a brilliant comeback in the previous edition. He finished his season in the pre-quarterfinals. The former Youth Olympics silver medalist had a fantastic 2022 season, winning six ATP Challengers Tour doubles titles, and he will look to replicate that success in the singles when he begins his campaign on December 31 in front of his home fans.
Elias Ymer’s (World No. 127)
The 26-year-old Swedish star had a dream run in the last edition of the Tata Open Maharashtra, reaching his first ATP Tour semi-finals. Ymer drew a lot of attention with some strong performances, including defeating the top seed and then World No 15 Aslan Karatsev in straight sets in the second round. As a teenager in 2015, he became only the second male player in history to qualify for all four Grand Slam events in a calendar year. Ymer will be full of confidence when he travels to Pune later this month to compete for his first ATP singles title.
Baez, Sebastian (World No. 43)
Sebastian Baez, a rising tennis star, will make his debut at the Tata Open Maharashtra after an outstanding 2022 season. Argentina’s 21-year-old made his ATP debut last year and has already competed in all four Grand Slam events. With a spectacular start to his career, he became the youngest person to win five Challenger titles in a single season. Baez won the 2022 Estoril Open to earn his first ATP title. He also reached a career-high ranking of 31 after defeating World No. 8 Andrey Rublev in the 2022 Bastad, his biggest win of his career. The youngster will be eager to make an impression on his debut in Pune.