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Sunday, February 11, 2007
The hi-tech Hawk-Eye system will be used in the upcoming Dubai Tennis Championships, which runs from February 19 to March 3, the tournament's official website reported on Wednesday.
The state-of-art line-calling system has been used in television coverage of several major tennis tournaments, including Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the Australian Open, the Davis Cup and the Tennis Masters Cup.
Hawk-Eye will use a number of dedicated cameras around the court to track the ball with great accuracy, with the ability to determine if a ball is in or out to within a couple of millimeters.
Players must challenge immediately if they think a ball is in or out, and once a player challenges, the official review will be provided simultaneously to the television broadcast and in-stadium video boards, allowing the players, chair umpire, on-site fans and television viewers the opportunity to see the live results of a player challenge.
To avoid frivolous challenges, the number of challenges that a player can make was limited in the recent Australian Open to two in each set, with an extra challenge allowed if the set went to a tiebreak. However, if the players challenge was correct, that challenge was not deducted from their allowance.
Hawk-Eye has been welcomed by most of the players, as they can relax in the knowledge that they have not been denied an important point by a bad call from the lines-person or umpire.
"I think positive of it," the report quoted Maria Sharapova, world number one and Dubai Women's Open 2006 runner-up, as saying.
"I think a majority of the players, and the fans, enjoy it. If you don't want to use it, you don't have to use it. It's your choice. But if there's a doubt in your mind and you want to challenge a call, why not? It's there for you."
The 3 million U.S. dollars Dubai Tennis Championships is owned and organized by Dubai Duty Free and comprises a WTA Tier ll tournament played back-to-back with an ATP World Series Gold tournament.
In 2006, the event attracted some of the world's leading players, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova and Justine Henin-Hardenne.
The state-of-art line-calling system has been used in television coverage of several major tennis tournaments, including Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the Australian Open, the Davis Cup and the Tennis Masters Cup.
Hawk-Eye will use a number of dedicated cameras around the court to track the ball with great accuracy, with the ability to determine if a ball is in or out to within a couple of millimeters.
Players must challenge immediately if they think a ball is in or out, and once a player challenges, the official review will be provided simultaneously to the television broadcast and in-stadium video boards, allowing the players, chair umpire, on-site fans and television viewers the opportunity to see the live results of a player challenge.
To avoid frivolous challenges, the number of challenges that a player can make was limited in the recent Australian Open to two in each set, with an extra challenge allowed if the set went to a tiebreak. However, if the players challenge was correct, that challenge was not deducted from their allowance.
Hawk-Eye has been welcomed by most of the players, as they can relax in the knowledge that they have not been denied an important point by a bad call from the lines-person or umpire.
"I think positive of it," the report quoted Maria Sharapova, world number one and Dubai Women's Open 2006 runner-up, as saying.
"I think a majority of the players, and the fans, enjoy it. If you don't want to use it, you don't have to use it. It's your choice. But if there's a doubt in your mind and you want to challenge a call, why not? It's there for you."
The 3 million U.S. dollars Dubai Tennis Championships is owned and organized by Dubai Duty Free and comprises a WTA Tier ll tournament played back-to-back with an ATP World Series Gold tournament.
In 2006, the event attracted some of the world's leading players, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova and Justine Henin-Hardenne.
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Dubai: One of the world's most exciting teenagers will be a strong contender for the Dubai Tennis Championships this month, with Novak Djokovic adding his name to the all-star entry list.
The Serbian is one of the brightest young talents on the ATP Tour, last year capturing two titles and finishing 2006 as the youngest player ranked in the top 20.
With his father, uncle and aunt all professional skiers, it was natural that his family tried to entice him to follow in their footsteps. But Novak excelled at tennis, and at age 12 he left Belgrade to hone his game at Niki Pilic's academy in Munich for nearly two years. It was time well spent.
Djokovic got off to a great start last season by reaching the semi-finals in Zagreb, and then attracted everyone's attention by advancing all the way to the quarter-finals of the French Open before having to retire against Rafael Nadal.
Then after reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon, he claimed the first title of his career in Amersfoort, and the next week reached the Umag final before having to retire in the first set tiebreak with respiratory problems.
A second title came in October in Metz, and he also excelled in Davis Cup, winning five of his six matches during the year with his only defeat coming against Roger Federer in a World Group play-off showdown.
Vacation in Dubai
And the 19-year old, who took a vacation in Dubai at the end of the season, kept his momentum going into 2007, winning the third title of his career in Adelaide and then reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open where Federer blocked his path once again.
"I have to say I have to be satisfied with all I did in Australia. I feel really positive," said Djokovic after his loss to Federer in Melbourne.
Djokovic will have the opportunity in Dubai to once again test himself against the best, with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer headlining the entries.
"Novak Djokovic is still a new name to many, but at 19 he has already drawn praise from all quarters of the game," said Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of tournament organisers Dubai Duty Free.
"It is always a pleasure to see new talent such as his, and we are sure that he will add great excitement to what already promises to be a spectacular event."
The popular 23-year old Slovak is always a threat against any opponent, last season claiming victories over Serena Williams, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Patty Schnyder. But perhaps her best performance was against Maria Sharapova in the Zurich final, when she took the reigning US Open champion to three sets.
But there is far more to Hantuchova than tennis. Although you might think she would find it intimidating to compete in huge stadiums, the experience of playing in front of a big crowd is nothing new for her.
When she was younger she was as good at playing classical music on the piano as she is now at playing tennis. Like tennis, she had to spend countless hours practising. And like tennis, she eventually had to play in front of lots of people.
“I did some pretty big concerts, and I can tell you I’ve never, ever been so nervous in my life,” she said. “When I was about 13 or 14, a couple of hundred at least would be watching, maybe a thousand. It was scary stuff, but it prepared me well for the tennis circuit so it was good.
“I really enjoyed playing. It was very difficult time-wise because I had my school in the morning, tennis practise, then piano, then tennis again and then study in the evening. So I was finishing my day at 11, 11.30. Every day was like that from eight o’clock in the morning, and I loved it because there wasn’t any one second I had some free time. I couldn’t understand the kids when they were saying they were so bored. I never knew anything like that.”
Hantuchova has proved she can excel in whatever she does, and she is certain to offer a strong challenge against anyone she meets in a week of top-class tennis action.
“Daniela is one of the most delightful people we have welcomed to Dubai, and it is a pleasure to have her amongst us once again,” said Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of tournament organisers Dubai Duty Free. “As well as being a top singles player she has twice reached the doubles semi-finals here, and her many fans in Dubai will be thrilled to welcome her back.”
Play begins at the Dubai Tennis Stadium on 19th February with the Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open, and continues with the Dubai Duty Free Men’s Open on 26th February when Spain’s Rafael Nadal defends his title against three-time former champion Roger Federer, charismatic Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis and rising star Novak Djokovic.
The Dubai Tennis Championships is owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free and takes place under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The American tennis superstar, who on Saturday overwhelmed Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 to win her third Australian Open crown, is still searching for her first Dubai title. She reached the semi-finals in 2005 before retiring against Jelena Jankovic with an injury, and injury also prevented her from competing in Dubai in 2006.
Now fully fit again, Williams confounded critics that had written her off as she made a massive leap up the rankings, rocketing from 81 to 14 after her Melbourne victory.
“You know, I have a lot of people even close to me who doubt me. I love doubters. More than anything what I love, besides obviously winning, is proving people wrong,” said the 25-year old eight-time Grand Slam champion.
“I've always been mentally strong, I think probably mentally stronger than a lot of players on the tour. I think for me tennis has always been 80 percent mental and I've believed in myself more than anyone. Even though it was hard, I really believed in me and in my game. No matter what, if I'm playing right it's hard for anyone to beat me. I always believed that, and that's still the way it is.”
Williams is the third lowest-ranked winner of any Grand Slam since rankings began in November 1975, and her achievement in claiming the Australian Open title is all the more remarkable because, apart from a warm-up event in Hobart, she had been unable to play since falling to Amelie Mauresmo in the fourth round of the US Open last September.
“Serena Williams has shown over and over again that she is one of the best competitors in the sport,” said Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of tournament organisers Dubai Duty Free. “She brings great excitement to the court every time she plays, and we look forward to seeing if she can add the Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open title to the eight Grand Slams she has won.”
Play begins at the Dubai Tennis Centre on 19th February with defending champion Justine Henin, US Open winner Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova headlining the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event, and continues on the 26th February when Rafael Nadal begins his title defence alongside three-time former champion Roger Federer and Marcos Baghdatis.
The Dubai Tennis Championships is owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free and takes place under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Dubai: Tennis legend Martina Hingis will return to the Dubai Tennis Championships later this month in a bid to regain the title she first claimed six years ago.
Hingis, who beat Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-2 to claim a record fifth title at the Toray Pan Pacific Open on Sunday, took home the trophy upon her Dubai debut in 2001, but was beaten by Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals last year.
Twelve months ago the former world No 1 had just embarked on a comeback after injury kept her away from the game for three years.
Unsure what to expect of herself, Hingis earned victory over many of the biggest names in the game, beating opponents such as Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Lindsay Davenport, Elena Dementieva and Venus Williams.
Deeper competition
"I found the game had definitely become more physical since I was away," said Hingis of her 2006 experience. "Everyone's taller, everyone hits the ball harder and that's everybody pretty much in the top 100, even outside of that. The competition is a lot deeper. The game always moves on."
Despite the stiff competition, Hingis won titles in Rome and Kolkata, qualified for the season-ending championships and climbed back to seven in the rankings. Now she is ready for a different kind of challenge.
"I have some points to defend now which is not going to be so easy. This is a different kind of pressure, which I didn't have last year," she said.
"I want to be the best I can be. To be No 1 and to be able to move forward, I need to win Grand Slams again, so there's still a long way to go. I mostly have short-term goals more than long-term at this point. I'm not looking too far ahead."
The five-time Grand Slam champion joins a stellar field that already includes defending champion Justine Henin and reigning US Open champion Sharapova.
"Martina looked as if she had never been away when she played in the Dubai Tennis Championships last year," said Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free.
Grand Stand tickets for the Middle East's showpiece tennis event is now on sale at the Dubai Tennis Stadium.
Dubai Duty Free, owners and organisers of the award-winning Dubai Tennis Championships, have announced a freeze on ticket prices to the same level as the past three years, which means tennis fans can purchase many of the tickets for just Dh 30 ($8.1).
The tournament will kick-off at the Dubai Tennis Stadium on February 19 with the $1,500,000 million women's event. Another $1,500,000 million will be up for grabs from February 26 in the 15th staging of the men's tournament.
The Dubai Tennis Championships has consistently attracted the top players in the world in recent years, and that trend will continue this year with top stars like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Marcos Baghdatis, Justine Henin-Hardenne and Maria Sharapova in the fray.
"The Dubai Tennis Championships is one of the best value-for-money events on the WTA and ATP Tours and we are delighted once again to announce that ticket prices will remain the same," said managing director of Dubai Duty Free Colm McLoughlin.
"We have already started receiving a tremendous amount of inquiries from the public wanting to buy tickets which is a wonderful reflection of just how popular this tournament has become.
"We have experienced sell out crowds in the past two years and with another world-class line-up on the way to Dubai we are encouraging fans to purchase their tickets early to avoid disappointment."
Tickets for Grand Stand seating for the first three days of each tournament are priced Dh 30, moving on to Dh 40 for the quarter-finals, Dh 60 for the semi-finals and Dh 100 for the finals.
As in previous years, Grand Stand seating will be 'free seating'.
Tickets for the Prime Seats (the first two rows) is also now on sale with priority given to season ticket buyers only.
Season tickets for Prime seats are only available through email: christine.feliciano@ddf.ae
Corporate Hospitality packages, which include season Prime Seat tickets and the chance to dine at The Cellar Restaurant at the Aviation Club, are also available through Dubai Duty Free.
Tickets are available from the Dubai Tennis Stadium Box Office.
AUSTRALIAN Open champion Serena Williams and world No.1 Maria Sharapova have withdrawn from the Dubai Open starting on Monday, highlighting a growing crisis which has forced the WTA to speed up its reforms.
The sudden absence of the sport's two most charismatic players is a shattering blow to the $US1.5 million ($A1.92 million) tournament and an example of the kind of setback which threatens to damage the professional game.
Williams has cited 'flu and Sharapova a troublesome hamstring as the reason for withdrawing, a disappointment which has become so commonplace that the WTA recently released figures showing that withdrawals had reached record levels.
This prompted Billie Jean King, the tennis legend who was one of the founders of the WTA Tour, to comment: "We've got a challenge on our hands."
Top ten player withdrawals from Tier 1 tournaments more than doubled from 2005 to 2006.
Even more worryingly there has been an increase of 72 per cent in top 10 player withdrawals from the tour's top level tournaments over the past five years.
Arguably worse still, not one of the 10 best tournaments in 2006 received the WTA Tour's commitment that a minimum of six out of the top 10 players will compete in every Tier I tournament.
The Dubai Open is now left with Justine Henin, making her first appearance of 2007 after marriage difficulties, as the top seed, with former world No.1 Martina Hingis and former US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova as her main rivals.
Australian Open finalists Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams both withdrew on Thursday from next week's Dubai Tennis Championships due to injury.
World number 1 Sharapova will not play the $1.5-million event due to a hamstring injury she suffered several weeks ago in Tokyo.
"I'm very disappointed to have to withdraw," read a statement from the Florida-based Russian. "The hamstring that I injured in Tokyo is not yet healed.
"I tried everything possible to be in condition to play, but unfortunately I'm not ready. I'm looking forward to continuing to recover as quickly as possible so that I can get back on the court competing."
Melbourne winner Williams continued her February string of withdrawals, having not played since lifting the Grand Slam nearly three weeks ago over Sharapova 6-1, 6-2.
The American followed up her pullout from this week's tournament in Bangalore by withdrawing from Dubai, citing flu. Justine Henin, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Martina Hingis head the women's field.
The men's event begins the following week of February 26th, where Spain's Rafael Nadal will defend his title against three-times former champion and world number one Roger Federer.
Also confirmed for that field are Russian number 3 Nikolay Davydenko, Spain's Tommy Robredo, and German Tommy Haas.
Star-studded line-up arrives in Dubai ready for the Middle East’s showpiece tennis event
World number two Justine Henin has arrived in Dubai focused on the possibility of winning a fourth Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open.
The dynamic Belgian star has an impressive unbeaten record in Dubai and has not lost a match in her three previous trips to Dubai, winning the title in 2003, 2004 and 2006.
“I’m glad I’m coming back to Dubai,” said Henin, who defeated Maria Sharapova in a thrilling final to clinch last year’s victory. “It’s a tournament I like a lot. It’s only good memories for me. They’re doing a great job and it’s a good crowd and very nice atmosphere.”
The Dubai Tennis Championships holds a special place in Henin’s heart. Following her win over Monica Seles in the 2003 Dubai final, Henin went onto super stardom after winning another seven events that year, including the French and US Opens.
“In 2003 it was the beginning of something amazing for me, because a lot of things happened in my career at that time and almost everything started for me here in Dubai,” she recalled.
Since then, Henin has won three more Grand Slam titles and also has an Olympic gold hanging in her trophy cabinet. And in 2006 she became one of the elite few to contest all four Grand Slam finals in the same year.
As well as being crowned 2006 world champion, edging out Australian Open and Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo, she was named as UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) Champion for Sport.
But Henin won’t have it all her own way this week when she squares off against some of the toughest competitors on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.
Entering the fray is Serb tennis star Jelena Jankovic who is certain to be a top contender in a field that features many of the biggest names in the game.
Jankovic has been the player to beat in 2007 as she claimed the title in Auckland and went down in three tight sets to Kim Clijsters in the Sydney final. Then it took eventual champion Serena Williams to halt her progress at the Australian Open.
Now the amiable 21-year old will return to a city in which she has often enjoyed great success.
In 2005 she strode all the way to the final, beating Sania Mirza and then Serena Williams before taking number one-ranked Lindsay Davenport to three tight sets in the final. And that followed Jelena’s earlier visit to Dubai, when she left with the champions trophy after winning an ITF circuit event.
She was unable to repeat her success last year, after contracting a virus that drained her of energy and which was so severe that she contemplated retirement.
“It was a tough time for me and it took two and a half months to recover,” said Jankovic. Whenever I got on court, I didn't have the will to practice, didn't want to play. It was something that I never felt before, and I almost quit playing tennis. I just wanted to go to university and continue with my studies.
“But I think when you go through something like this, it makes you stronger as a person. For me, as a player, as well, I feel like I appreciate my results a lot more, and I know what I'm doing and I know the right values. That's the most important.”
Fortunately, things eventually turned around, and Jankovic did indeed return as an even better and stronger player than before. And she was rewarded for her resilience last month when she entered the top 10 for the first time.
“Jelena is one of the great characters of the game, and we are delighted that she was able to recover both her health and her game,” said Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of tournament organisers Dubai Duty Free. “She has enjoyed great success in Dubai, reaching the final in 2005, and she is certain to be one of the leading challengers for the title once again.”
Jankovic joins a field that also features recent Tokyo winner Martina Hingis and 2006 French Open finalist Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Dubai Duty Free have also confirmed Australian Open and Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo, Tunisia’s Selima Sfar and Romania’s Monica Niculescu as wild cards.
Sfar has for several years served as an inspiration for women players all across the Arab region, and last season was especially successful as she caused one of the biggest upsets at the Dubai Tennis Championships by beating former top-10 Russian star Vera Zvonareva, before going on to win an event in Lebanon.
The greatest tennis extravaganza in the Middle East will kick-off at the Dubai Tennis Stadium this Monday (February 19th) with the women’s event, and will be followed from February 26th when another $1,500,000 will be up for grabs in the 15th staging of the ATP tournament.
The Dubai Tennis Championships is owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free and takes place under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Anne Kremer of Luxemburg stunned top seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in three sets for a place in the third round qualifiers of the Dubai Duty Free Women’s Tennis at the Dubai Tennis Stadium yesterday.
Kremer, who ousted Fatima Al Nabhani of Oman in the first round, battled for every point in her match against Radwanska, ranked 48 on the WTA Tour. Kremer, who took the opening set 6-4, went down in the second set by identical score. She, however, came back in style in the deciding set with a string of brilliant volleys to overcome Radwanska 6-4 for a date with Viktoriya Kutuzova of Ukraine.
Catalina Castano of Colomiba, seeded third, was another high ranked player to fall in the second round. She was beaten by Vera Dusheva of Russia 6-1, 6-4. The Russian will meet Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova. Stephanie Cohen-Aloro of France defeated Shikha Uberoi of India 6-2, 6-3 while Cibulkova beat Sandra Kloesel of Germany 7-5, 6-2 in their first round matches.
Ekaterina Ivanova of Russia, meanwhile, was stretched by Jelena Kostanic Tosic of Croatia before scraping to 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1 victory. Tosic was in dazzling form in the opening set with some accurate shots and her attacks at the net were also rewarded as she took the first set 6-3.
The Croat kept the same pace in the second set with the lead changing hands on several occasions. But Ivanova slightly took command winning the set on tiebreak. The third set was one-sided with the Russian taking total control of affairs and went on to take the set easily 6-1.
Ivanova, meanwhile, lost in the next match against Emmanuelle Gagliardi of Switzerland later in the day. The Swiss won 6-3, 6-4 and will face Agnes Szavay of Hungary in the next round today. Szavay gave a good account of herself when she ousted Emilia Salerni of Argentina 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (3). The Argentine had earlier shocked eighth seed Julia Schruff of Germany 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in the second round.
In today’s first round matches of the main draw, meanwhile, debutant Monica Niculescu of Romania takes on Maria Kirilenko of Russia in the first match, starting at 2pm. It will be followed by Australia’s Alicia Molik facing Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany.
Seventh seed Na Li of China is the only seeded player making her appearance on the first day. She will take on Eleni Danilidou of Greece. Wild card Selima Sfar of Tunisia also makes her first round appearance against Japan’s Ai Sugiyama after 7pm.
Second round qualifiers results: Anne Kremer (Luxemburg) bt Agniesszka Redwanska (Poland) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4; Viktoriya Kutuzova (Ukraine) bt Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) 5-7, 7-5, 6-2; Alberta Brianti (Italy) bt Adriana Barna (Germany) 6-2, 6-0, T. Paszek (Austria) bt Vanessa Henke (Germany 6-1, 6-2; Vera Dushevina (Russia) bt Catalina Castano (Colombia) 6-1, 6-4.
First round qualifiers results: Ekaterina Ivanova (Russia) bt Jelena Kostanic (Croatia) 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1; Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (France) bt Shikha Uberoi (India) 6-2, 6-3; M. Emilia Salerni (Argentina) bt Julia Schruff (Germany) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3; Agnes Szavay (Hungary) bt Martina Sucha (Slovakia) 6-4, 6-3.