Abu Dhabi: Peter Wessels, winner of the 2013 Abu Dhabi Wilson Tennis Cup, is eyeing a repeat when the tournament continues at Zayed Sports City this week.
The former Dutch Davis Cup player will kick-start his campaign against Chris Wind from Austria in the opening round of the men’s singles open division at 7.30pm on Thursday. If he wins, Wessels will play 34-year-old Mahmoud Nader Al Baloushi, the UAE’s number two player, at the Zayed International Tennis Stadium.
The former ATP-ranked world number 72, who missed last year’s tournament due to injury, is a favourite in the record-breaking field of 339 players assembling for the event. Nearly a third of players have entered into more than the 21 divisions offered, and more than 470 games will be played before 26 winners are crowned.
Wessels said: “I played Mahmoud Nader a couple of years ago, and there are some former students as well as players I don’t know much about in the division, which makes it very interesting. I enjoy the adrenalin that comes with playing the matches and the competition itself. Last year I was unable to play due to knee injury. but up until now preparations have been going very well.”
The 36-year-old, who has played in all four grand slams, added: “There is a good depth of competition. At the moment I still think adults aged 25 and over have the best chance of winning the tournament, but it will soon be the other way around. And that will be ideal. I like to win and I hope I can win, but I’m almost 37 and it will be good for UAE tennis if some of the younger players come up.”
With 201 juniors signed up for the third edition of the Abu Dhabi Wilson Tennis Cup, the competition has witnessed a growth of more than 25 per cent in junior participation, according to organisers. Of the 201 juniors, 11 have International Tennis Federation (ITF) rankings and three are members of the UAE national team.
“We became involved in the event three years ago as part of our commitment to grass roots development and encouraging the next generation of tennis players. We want to be present at the most outstanding facilities and the most exciting events, and the Abu Dhabi Wilson Tennis Cup meets all of these goals,” said Raphael Koehle, Wilson Sales Manager, NIK Trading. “The more youth tennis opportunities we have and the more awareness we create, the better it is for the sport.”
Entries for the third Abu Dhabi Wilson Tennis Cup are now close, but spectators are welcome to take in the action starting at 5pm during the week and from 9am over the weekend. Finals will take place on March 27.
The event is sanctioned by Tennis Emirates and supported by Wilson and Healthpoint.
