Mikhail Youzhny has a unique record that others in the Chennai Open field would love to have. The Russian, ranked 19 in the world, is the only player to have beaten top-seeded Rafael Nadal last season.

But the 25-year-old Youznhy said that piece of statistic will count for nothing when he takes on Nadal or for that matter anyone else in the fray.

"Each day is different, the past is history," Youzhny said after getting past Jiri Vanek in the opening round late on Monday night. For the record, the Russian accounted for Nadal in the quarterfinals in Dubai.

"The first match of the year is always the toughest, since you are coming in after a long break," he explained. That was evident when he dropped his serve early in the marathon third game. But after that hiccup, the Russian upped his game a few notches to come through with ridiculous ease in the end.

Youzhny is no stranger to Chennai. Having made his debut here in 2001, the 25-year-old, a teenager then, accounted for second-seeded Francisco Squillari in the first round.

"I like this place," he said. "It is more like Taiwan where I usually train before the start of the season,"  he added.

Ditching Doha

A regular starter at Doha, the Russian said it was the proximity to Australia that tilted the scales in favour of Chennai. "I usually start in Doha, but Chennai is two-and-a-half-hour closer to Australia," Youzhny said on Monday.

"That was the reason why I picked Chennai." 

The Russian No 2 after Nikolay Davydenko, Youzhny played a key a role in powering his country to the Davis Cup finals. He won the crucial fourth rubber against Phillip Petzschner in the semifinals against Germany. But he couldn't come up with any heroics in the tie that mattered, the final. The Russians went down to the US in the title clash.

Breaking into top-10

Winner at Rotterdam at the start of last season, Youzhny made it to the top-10 in August for the first time since turning pro in 1999.

"I was in the top-10 for a week. It wasn't like I was playing unbelievably or doing something great or different that helped me break into the top-10. I don't think there's a huge difference in the level of play among the top-10 players and say the top-20 or 30.

"Everybody at that level is playing good tennis. It's just a few points here and there. What you need is two or three good wins at crucial times and you go through. But yes, when you break into the top-10 once you know that you can get there again and that's a good feeling," he observed. As regards his goals for 2008, Youzhny said: "I don't have any ranking goals, to be in the top-10 or top-5, though I would like to get there. I want to improve my game. There are certain aspects of my play that needs improvement. That's my only goal for the year."