Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to celebrate it's 20th anniversary

Dubai: The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is set to celebrate it's 20th anniversary with a befitting line-up when the two-week tennis extravaganza gets under way at the Dubai Tennis Stadium from February 20-March 3, 2012.

The $ 2 million WTA event, which will be played in the first week, features eight of the top 10-ranked players including the top three - current world number one and defending champion Caroline Wozniacki, Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and the exciting Victoria Azarenka. The men's event, whose draw will be finalised in the coming week, is again expected to see a stellar line-up with the likes of world number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Commenting on this year's tournament, Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free, the tournament owners and organizers, said: "The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships started strongly in 1993 when we introduced the first ATP men's tournament to the UAE. This was followed by the women's week in 2001 and the back-to-back tournament has become one of the most popular on the Tour. We have seen all of the tennis giants play here over the past 20 years and the incredible line- up of stars this year means we are again looking forward to some thrilling matches and world class tennis action".

With French Open champion Li Na and US Open winner Samantha Stosur also striving to claim one of the most coveted trophies in the game, Dubai tennis fans are set for a sporting treat second to none. Three further current top 10 stars - Vera Zvonareva, Agnieszka Radwanska and Marion Bartoli - guarantee stiff competition and hard-fought battles right from the very first match. Adding to the sparkling line-up are Serbian former world number ones Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic.

Wozniacki has held the number one ranking almost continuously since October 2010, recapturing the top spot with her victory in Dubai last year after a brief one-week slip to number two. She is currently clinging on to her place in the face of a strong challenge from Kvitova, who not only claimed the Wimbledon crown but went on to capture the WTA Championships in Istanbul as well as leading the Czech Republic to the Fed Cup title.

Kvitova has kept the momentum going this year, already teaming up with Tomas Berdych to win the Hopman Cup. But both she and Wozniacki will be under threat from Azarenka during the upcoming Australian Open, after the Byelorussian enjoyed the best season of her career in 2011 by not only winning three titles but reaching the final of both Madrid and the WTA Championships.

Djokovic, who hit an unbelievable streak last year with the men's crown here, will be giving his all to win his fourth consecutive title here.

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.