Speculation was rife last year on the future of the tournament with the possibility of it being moved out of Chennai. Under the circumstances, Aircel's involvement as the principal sponsor has ensured the continuation of the event in Chennai, at least for the next two years.

Under the terms of agreement, IMG is obliged to guarantee participation of at least one top-10 player and two from top-20. However, Ravi Krishnan, IMG's Managing Director - South Asia and Senior Vice-president Worldwide, said it was far too early to name the players.

'We have to first see who is playing where since there are three other tournaments on the same dates besides an exhibition competition. Although Roger Federer dominated this season, many other players have performed well. We are in talks with a few of them,' said Krishnan.

Speaking on behalf of the sponsors, Baskar said the Chennai Open was a good fit for Aircel in the context of targeting the youth besides providing the company better visibility.