Pune, Dec 22 (IANS): Tata Motors, the automobile manufacturer, has bolstered its long-standing commitment to tennis in India by extending the association with Tata Open Maharashtra as the title sponsor for the fifth consecutive year.

The South Asia's only ATP 250 is set to kick off on December 31 in Pune. The Company today announced that its iconic flagship SUV, the all-new Tata Safari will be the Official Partner for Tata Open Maharashtra.

The tournament has brought some of world's biggest stars such as Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka, Carlos Moya to India in the past and this year 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic will headline the highly competitive field, featuring 17 top-100 players.

"We are thrilled to extend our partnership with one of India's most trusted brands, Tata Motors for the fifth year in a row now. This adds to the credibility, trust and partnership that we share with them as we celebrate the milestone fifth year of the tournament in Pune. We are grateful for their continued belief in us and support in the journey of this tournament which is set to witness some of the big stars in action from across the world, once again," said Sanjay Khandare, Treasurer of Tata Open Maharashtra, who is also an IAS officer.

Commenting on this association, Rajan Amba, VP, Sales, Marketing and Customer Service, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd., said, "We are delighted to announce our continued association with the Tata Open Maharashtra. For this event, we have chosen to showcase our premium flagship SUV, Safari. The Safari brand has always expoused its "Reclaim Your Life" philosophy and what better a way to do so, than Sports. The power and performance of the Safari is synonymous with that of a highly trained tennis player and it lends itself aptly to this wonderful long serving association.

Tata Open Maharashtra, owned by IMG and managed by RISE Worldwide, will be conducted at the Balewadi Stadium by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) in association with the Government of Maharashtra.