Dubai to host seniors' tournament

Dubai: If you thought two weeks of high-voltage tennis would have been enough, then be prepared for more. A new concept is coming to town with the inception of an ITF-sanctioned Seniors' Tennis Tournament at the Dubai Tennis Stadium from March 2-7.

The concept for the seniors' competition comes from Liz Vlotman, a former player on the WTA Tour, with the aim of further popularising the game in the region for a different age group altogether.

The championship is open to international and local players with the men's competition open for participants from 35 years right up to 85, while the women's age group will be between 35 to 75 years.

The mixed doubles competition will be for people between 40 to 70 years. Entry deadline for the competition is February 26.

One of the biggest draws for the new concept is the involvement of Alan Mills, who has been the WTA Referee for the Barlcays Dubai Tennis Championships from its inception for the past nine years.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for me to be involved with an event from its inception," Mills told Gulf News.

Mills is an accomplished tennis player, but prefers to play a bit of golf when he comes down to Dubai. Besides, surgery on one of his kidneys earlier this has further impeded him. "Either way, I still prefer playing on grass," Mills shrugged.

This will not be the first time that Mills has backed an event since its inception. He was one of the initial members of the Miami Masters, a tournament founded by former player Butch Buchholz, who conceived the event as the first major competition of the year (the Australian Open used to be held in December at that time).

Buchholz dubbed the Miami Masters as the 'Winter Wimbledon' offering the ATP and the WTA a percentage of the ticket sales and worldwide television rights in return for the right to run the tournament for 15 years. The first tournament was held in February 1985 at Laver's International Tennis Resort at Delray Beach, Florida with Mills as the head referee.

The Miami Masters is considered to be the sixth most prestigious event on the ATP and WTA Tours - after the four Grand Slams and the Tennis Masters Cup/WTA Tour.