The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is an ATP 500 tournament that has been played since 1993. The total prize money is USD 2 million. Just like the O2 in London, this stadium in Garhoud, Dubai when not being used for tennis tournaments doubles up as a leading concert venue having played to acts such as Sting, Gerri Haliwell, Bryan Adams, Enrique Iglesias, Gloria Gaynor, Coolio, Shaggy, Sash, Maxi Priest, Big Mountain and Bally Sagoo, while former world boxing champion, Chris Eubank, staged his first Middle East bout on centre court in 1997. The complex is a self sufficient world village with the best 5 star hotels, restaurants offering an array of cuisines from across the world, pubs, souvenir shops, spas, golf and yacht clubs. Great for a holiday I think. Somehow I can't bring myself to plan one to Dubai. Is just not a holiday destination for me. I have all the sun and sand that I need in India itself. No, Dubai doesn't do it for me yet. The association of Dawood with Dubai is just to strong for The image to shrug of easily. Doesn't float may boat Sir!
Coming back to the championships, all top seeds crossed the first round hurdle except for Tipsarevic. Davydenko beat a surprisingly off-colour Tipsarevic 6-0,7-5. I never understood how The frail looking Nikolai Davydenko manages to play a power sport such as tennis in this day and age. by his own admission, the matches take a toll on him, whether the hot environs of Dubai or the cool of O2. He won the ATP world tour championship in 2009 and if I remember right, he admitted in a post match interview that he loses as much as 7 to 8 kgs in a tournament and struggles to maintain his body weight. Ranked 46th, Davydenko says that he is happy to just hang out in Top 50 now and he doesn't do a bad job of it either. For someone who turned pro in 1999, Davydenko has been in Top 10 from 2005 till 2010. He still manages to pull off upsets of top seed like Tipsarevic ( in the current tournament) and he beat Ferrer in Doha earlier this month. So all in all its a manageable ambition hat he has to stay in Top 50.
Meanwhile Federer defeated Tunisian wildcard entry Malek Jaziri but not before the popular Jaziri had skimmed the first set off the world no.2. W have the same story for other top seeds Tsonga and del Potro, where both lost the first set to bounce back. So all is well with the top order. I was watching the first round match of the Dubai Open and I feel it has the potential to rival O2, even though the latter is an ATP 1000 event. Where is scores is the crowds though. You can have world class infrastructure and the best in business athletes competing in your event. But the even an be a success only if it has the patronage of the spectators, the wild cheering and full stands that was lacking in Dubai. Lets see if the crowds thicken with the progressing rounds. I am interested in 2nd round where Del Potro plays our very own hero Somdev Devvarman who defeated Igor Kunitsyn 6-1, 6-4. Wil update on the match meanwhile off you go for a camel safari in the dunes while I stay tuned.
