Dubai: The 2008 Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, will gets underway on Monday, will not be short on the glamour quotient. Slovak Daniela Hantuchova and statuesque Czech Nicole Vaidisova have both confirmed for the event.
Hantuchova's model looks and love for fashion have long made her a standout attraction. However, much as she loves to parade down the catwalk or pose for magazines, she never loses sight of the fact that it is her tennis that matters most.
"Well, definitely that's what I always try to say, that I think we should be recognised more for what kind of athletes we are than perhaps the way we look and what kind of stuff we do outside the court," she said in Melbourne, where she reached the semifinals of the Australian Open.
Hantuchova has reached the Dubai quarterfinals twice in the last three years, losing to Serena Williams in 2005 and former champion Amelie Mauresmo in 2007. In 2006, she fell to top Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in the second round.
"I would just get too hard on myself and was not able to forgive myself any mistakes. I always wanted to have everything perfect," she said.
"Then I realised that it's okay to do mistakes and it's okay to not always play my best tennis. It's a nice challenge to have to always find a way how to get through a match, even not playing well. And I think it's something that I've improved a lot the last few months."
Vaidisova is only 18, but she has claimed wins over Ana Ivanovic, Elena Dementieva, Marion Bartoli, Amelie Mauresmo and Jelena Jankovic, and she climbed to seven in the world last May before sickness and injury put a temporary halt to her progress.
"I missed four tournaments after Wimbledon, and then I pulled my hamstring after the US Open," Vaidisova said.
"It's disappointing because I played well and had a good ranking and a big chance to reach the Sony Ericsson Championships.
"I was really looking forward to it. In the second half of the year I almost didn't play at all. But these are things I can't do anything about, and now I'm just trying to enjoy the fact I'm on the court healthy."
Both Hantuchova and Vaidisova have proved they are winners both on and off the court, but they will face tough competition in their bid to win the Dubai event with Justine Henin, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic and Serena Williams among those trying to block their path.
"As well as being players of the highest calibre, Daniela Hantuchova and Nicole Vaidisova also recognise their role as entertainers," said Colm McLoughlin, managing director of tournament owners and organisers Dubai Duty Free.
"They take pride in both their game and their appearance, and their presence here perfectly mirrors the excitement and glamour of Dubai."
The WTA Tour tournament is followed by the ATP event from March 3-8.
