Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Celebrates 20 Years With Top Line-up Of Stars

© Getty ImagesWorld No. 1 and defending champion Caroline Wozniacki is set to return to Dubai next month.

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is set to mark its 20th anniversary with a spectacular best-ever line-up that will bring almost every top player in the world to the Emirates. 

Staged at the Dubai Tennis Stadium in Garhoud, the tournament will run from the 20th February to March 3rd with the non-stop action commencing with the $2 million WTA event, followed on 27 February by the 20th staging of the $2 million ATP tournament.

Commenting on this year’s tournament, Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free, the tournament owners and organizers, said: "The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships started strongly in 1993 when we introduced the first ATP men’s tournament to the UAE. This was followed by the women’s week in 2001 and the back-to-back tournament has become one of the most popular on the tour. We have seen all of the tennis giants play here over the past 20 years and the incredible line- up of stars this year means we are again looking forward to some thrilling matches and world class tennis action".

The eagerly awaited WTA tournament features eight of the top 10-ranked players including the top three – current world number one and defending champion Caroline Wozniacki, Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and the exciting Victoria Azarenka.

With French Open champion Li Na and US Open winner Samantha Stosur also striving to claim one of the most coveted trophies in the game, Dubai tennis fans are set for a sporting treat second to none.  Three further current top 10 stars – Vera Zvonareva, Agnieszka  Radwanska and Marion Bartoli  – guarantee stiff competition and hard-fought battles right from the very first match.

Adding to the sparkling line-up are Serbian former world number ones Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic.

Wozniacki has held the number one ranking almost continuously since October 2010, recapturing the top spot with her victory in Dubai last year after a brief one-week slip to number two.  She is currently clinging on to her place in the face of a strong challenge from Kvitova, who not only claimed the Wimbledon crown but went on to capture the WTA Championships in Istanbul as well as leading the Czech Republic to the Fed Cup title.

Kvitova has kept the momentum going this year, already teaming up with Tomas Berdych to win the Hopman Cup.  But both she and Wozniacki will be under threat from Azarenka during the upcoming Australian Open, after the Byelorussian enjoyed the best season of her career in 2011 by not only winning three titles but reaching the final of both Madrid and the WTA Championships.

The men’s draw will be finalised in the coming week, but a stellar line up including World number 1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are expected to battle it out for honours in 2012. Djokovic has been in blistering form and will be giving his all to win his fourth consecutive title here.

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is held under the patronage of H H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Tickets for the event will go on sale on 16 January from the Box Office at the Dubai Tennis Stadium , Garhoud which opens from 9am to 9pm daily.  Grandstand tickets can also be bought online at http://www.timeouttickets.com/.  For further information about tickets phone the call centre on +971 4 358 9797.