Eric Butorac
Eric Butorac, a 2003 graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College, recently won the fifth Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tour doubles title of his career. Butorac teamed with Rajeev Ram to defeat the Swiss tandem of Jean-Claude Scherrer and Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 6-4 to win the Chennai Open in India on Jan. 11.
Butorac, who is now the 54th ranked doubles player in the world, wrote about his experience in India on his blog.
“I had always wanted to go to India, because everyone who has been there told me that it’s a very life-changing experience,” Butorac wrote. “I flew from Chicago to Delhi and had to spend my first night there and then catch a morning flight to Chennai.”
“That night it seemed that every person in the world was a taxi and they all wanted my business. I finally found a cab that seemed to be somewhat legitimate and we were off to the hotel,” he wrote. “Now, I have been to a few countries in my day and seen my share of traffic, but nothing like this! There were no lanes, no rules, and more types of vehicles than I had seen in my life. I mean who gets the right of way between a bus, a rickshaw, a man pulling a cart on his back, or us?”
Butorac explained that he and his partner Ram had the support of the hometown crowd because although Ram is from Indianapolis, his parents were born in Bangalore, India.
“It was great to take my fifth title of my career, but it made it even more special to share it with Rajeev,” Butorac said. “He had so many friends and family there and it was the first title of his career. Now my goal is convincing him to play with me more.”
Butorac will play in the first grand slam tournament of the season — the Australian Open — starting this week with former partner Jamie Murray of Scotland. Butorac and Murray won three ATP tour events together in 2007 before deciding to split up after the 2007 U.S. Open.
Butorac and Murray are seeded 16th in the men’s doubles draw and will face Ecuadorian Nicolas Lapentti and Spaniard Tommy Robredo in a first round match that has yet be scheduled.
Update: Butorac and Murray dropped their first round match to Lapentti and Robredo 6-4, 6-4.
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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510