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Dubai Tennis Great Moments, Great Progress, Great StridesHi, Sunil here to talk about Dubai tennis During my most recent visit as I write this discussion (2008), I saw a ton of Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer posters all over Dubai. (2012 Update: My recent visit had posters of neither!) But these are just the recent stars of world Tennis. Brief History of the Dubai Tennis ChampionshipsAs most sport events in Dubai, it is held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai that has done so much for sports over the years, by both bringing them to Dubai, and revolutionizing them in the process.Owned, and organized, by the Dubai Duty Free Company, the mens and womens events actually go by the names of Dubai Duty Free Mens and Womens Championships, and are part of the ATP and WTA tours respectively. Since Barclays became a major sponsor, the tournaments name has since become known as the Barclays DTC. In truth, it was the mens championship that started out first, in 1993, with the womens version only following later in 2001. Still, today both men and women in singles and doubles categories all compete in their respective events in pursuit of prize money that amounts to one million US dollars. The event itself has expanded, and reaches out to tennis fans and general sports enthusiasts alike. If you happen to like tennis, you probably already know that some of the greatest moments in the sport take place in this tournament, making it a fixture of every fans calendar. Great Moments at the Dubai Tennis ChampionshipsArguably the biggest upset of the championships, or perhaps even tennis in general, occurred when Mikhail Youzhny trounced Rafael Nadal, the previous finalist, in straight sets to claim a spot in the 2007 finals where he met with Roger Federer.It came as a shock to tennis fans across the globe, that he beat Nadal, however less shocking was the manner in which Federer disposed of Youzhny to clinch his 4th title at the DTC. Indeed, Federer himself certainly has made his mark in the DTC down the years, as too has Justine Henin Hardene on the womens side of the court. She, like Federer, has also seen victory in the DTC four times. Both are crowd favorites, and get that warm Dubai reception when they take to the courts. Tennis looks set to continue to thrive under the warm Dubai sun, and the prospect of increased sports facilities with the brand new Dubai Sports City nearing completion should not be overlooked. Perhaps, someday in the future, the Dubai Tennis Championships will be won by one of their very own; it really seems that it could happen given the way in which the nation has embraced developing sports. | ||
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