WOMENS WEEK PROMISES WORLD CLASS TENNIS

 With an incredible 8 of the top ten and sixteen of the top twenty ranked women heading to Dubai this week, this year’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships WTA Tournament promises to be one of the best on record, and with tickets still available it will undoubtedly be the place to be next week. Action in the tournament commences one day earlier this year, with the first day’s play on Sunday 15 February. 

The event this year has Premier 5 status, and as such the draw has been expanded from 32 to 64, meaning even more of the world’s best players will be hitting the courts. World number one Serena Williams heads the star studded line-up, and with defending champion Venus Williams, world number 3 Simona Halep, previous champions Petra Kvitova, Caroline Wozniacki and Agnieska Radwanska, former world number one Ana Ivanovic and last year’s finalist Alize Cornet all in the field, the competition from Day 1 will one of the toughest ever. Salah Tahlak, Tournament Director, said “The women’s field this year is spectacular, and with plenty of tickets still available for women’s week, and with tickets for the first three days only 75dhs, tennis fans in Dubai are in for a real treat. In addition entry to the outside courts is free so everyone has the opportunity to see world class players in action”. In addition to superb competition on court, the Tennis Village will be a hive of activity, with a competitions, activities and promotions making for another exhilarating fortnight of excitement and action both on and off the court. The tournament will again offer a full social program with the very popular Ladies’ Day on Thursday 19 February, and FANtastic Fan Day on Thursday 26 February. Ladies are invited to come dressed to impress on Ladies’ Day and enter the fashion parade at 6pm to win great prizes including finals tickets.
On Fantastic Fan Day on Thursday 26 February everyone is encouraged to dress up in their most outrageous tennis fan outfit on to support their favourite players, and the most enthusiastic fan will walk away with tickets to the men’s finals. While the men’s finals tickets again proved to be hot property, several lucky fans who enter competitions at the stadium on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of each week will win coveted finals tickets by taking selfies with their tickets and posting them on the tournament’s Instagram or Twitter pages. 
Fans are encouraged to check the tournament website and Facebook page for all the details on ticket competitions to be amongst the lucky winners. Other competitions to win finals tickets are running on ARN radio, and every day during the tournament spectators in the grandstand can play “Catch and Win” as tennis balls are hit into the crowd before the evening matches. Every ball caught can be redeemed at the Dubai Duty Free Stand for great prizes from the sponsors. There will also be opportunities for fans to see and get autographs from their favourite players on Sunday 15 and Monday 16 February at 11.45am and Monday 23 February at 1.00pm at the Dubai Duty Free Shop in the Tennis Village. 
And in one of the features which makes the Dubai tournament unique, the players will walk through the village each day on their way to and from the courts, giving fans a chance for a photograph or autograph with their tennis idols.