Dubai: Two of the brightest stars to emerge on the WTA Tour during the past year are set to dazzle spectators at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships when play gets underway in just over two weeks’ time.
American Sloane Stephens caused a sensation when she upset tournament favourite Serena Williams to reach the semi-finals of the 2013 Australian Open, and Romania’s Simona Halep has rocketed into the top 10 after winning six tournaments last year.
Halep continued her meteoric rise at the Australian Open this year by defeating former world number one Jelena Jankovic in the fourth round to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final, before falling to eventual runner up Dominika Cibulkova. Her victory over Jankovic pushed her into the top ten for the first time.
Stephens came close to joining Halep in the rankings by ending 2013 at number 12 in the world and demonstrated that she thrives on the biggest stages that the sport offers.
“It is always exciting to see new players come to the fore,” said Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice-Chairman of tournament owners and organisers Dubai Duty Free. “They bring freshness and a feeling of anticipation to the game as we see not only how they cope with the extra pressure placed upon them, but how their opponents tackle the threat that they pose.
“We look forward to seeing if both players can repeat the success they have enjoyed elsewhere when they compete against a world-class field here in Dubai.”
The best results for Stephens in 2013 came at the Grand Slams, where she won 15 matches. After stunning Williams in Melbourne in 2013, she reached the fourth round of the French Open before losing to runner-up Maria Sharapova, the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, where she fell to eventual champion Marion Bartoli, and the fourth round at the US Open, where Williams gained revenge for her earlier upset.
Among her triumphs during the year were wins over Venus Williams, Sharapova and Australian Open semi-finalist Eugenie Bouchard.
But Stephens failed to make an impression here in Dubai last year, losing in the first round to Sorana Cirstea, and she also lost her opening matches in four other tournaments. Now she has set her sights on repeating her Grand Slam success in other tournaments too.
“Yeah, I mean, they’re fun. Who doesn’t like playing on TV in front of a big crowd?” she said of the Slams. “I don’t know [why I do well there]. I just play, and then I end up in the second week. But I’m looking forward to obviously doing better in the events I didn’t do well in last year.”
And during the last year she believes she has gained the tools to do that.
“I’d say I don’t get flustered as easily, and that’s something I have worked on,” she said. “I don’t get overwhelmed and I’m kind of just learning to focus on myself, because that’s the only thing I can control, the things that I do.”
Her progress last year was impressive, and her achievements were mirrored by Halep.
What made the Romanian’s tally of six tournament crowns all the more impressive is that she did not capture the first one until June. She then played 11 more events during the remainder of the season, winning five.
Incredible period
Along the way she scored wins over Caroline Wozniacki and Ana Ivanovic.
It is little wonder then that she was voted the WTA Most Improved Player of the Year.
Now she is a Top 10 player Halep knows she will be a target for everyone.
“It was an incredible period for me,” she said of the second half of 2013. “I played really good. I was more aggressive, more relaxed on court. I just wanted to take the pleasure of every point and to fight for every point. Now it’s difficult, more pressure and more, you know, you [others[ want every time to win, to beat the top 10 players.”
“We are delighted we will have the chance to see these stars of the future in action in just a few weeks time” said Dubai Tournament Director Salah Tahlak.
“Stephens and Halep will face stiff opposition, however, with defending champion Petra Kvitova and former winners Caroline Wozniacki and Agnieszka Radwanska once again among the top contenders for the title, so we are expecting to see some fantastic tennis” he added.
Joining them will be 2013 runner-up Sara Errani; former world number one and Dubai finalist Jelena Jankovic; 2013 Wimbledon runner-up Sabine Lisicki; two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova; 2011 US Open winner Samantha Stosurl and former number one and French Open champion Ana Ivanovic.
Play in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships begins with the WTA event, which takes place between February 17 and 22. Play then continues between February 24 and March 1 with the star-studded ATP tournament, which includes defending champion Novak Djokovic, five-time winner Roger Federer, exciting Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro and Australian Open semi-finalist Tomas Berdych.
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free, and held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Tickets for the event are on sale from the box office at the Dubai Tennis Stadium, Garhoud which is open from 9am to 9pm daily. Grandstand ticket prices range from Dh75 for opening rounds to Dh500 for finals, with season tickets also available.
Grandstand tickets can also be bought online at http://www.timeouttickets.com
For further information about tickets, prices and the tournament, visit http://www.dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com or phone the call centre on +971 4 4172415.
