The Abu Dhabi Wilson Tennis Cup, UAE’s largest tennis tournament is expecting to break records with over 500 players registering for the tournament this year.
The Wilson Tennis Cup, launched in 2013 as the UAE’s first mass participation tennis event, attracted 495 players of all ages in its inaugural year.
This year’s tournament, which takes place from January 24 until February 15 at Zayed Sports City, is looking to surpass the number of participants that took part last year.
To accommodate the high number of expected registrants, organisers have already extended the tournament schedule by an extra week, from two to three, to cope with demand.
The Wilson Tennis cup aims to provide a platform for players to compete with those of similar ability, with participants ranging from the age of seven, to 70-years old.
"We were blown away by the number of participants last year and the aim is to build on that success this year, both in terms of numbers and quality,” said Barry Bremner, General Manager of Zayed Sports City.
“Our aim is to have as many people from Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE experience these great facilities and to promote tennis to as wide an audience as possible.”
The Cup draws casual amateurs as well as the country’s top players. Last year’s Men’s singles title was won by former Davis Cup star Peter Wessels who beat former UAE number one Omar Behrouzian in the final.
The Ladies singles competition was won by Magali De Lattre.
This year there will be a slight change in the adult tournament as it will be divided into Open (amateurs, coaches and former professionals) and Cup (amateurs only) categories in a bid to keep it as competitive as possible.
Participants will take part in one of twenty-five singles and doubles sections with prizes awarded to the winners of each category. The total prize fund this year being AED 44,000.
Managing Director of NIK General Trading, Kamyar Minachi, said: “As part of the Wilson global vision and commitment to grassroots tennis activities, Wilson UAE is proud to support the 2nd edition of Abu Dhabi Wilson Tennis Cup.
“I hope this tournament can help the younger players improve their skills and be a platform for them to progress in 2014 and enjoy more tournaments and competitions during the year.”
Matches take place on weekdays from 5pm and from 9am on weekends. The event is free for family and friends who would want to come down and show their support .
Registration for the Wilson Tennis Cup is now open. The closing date for entries is January 20 for juniors and January 27 for adults. Juniors can take part in two events and adults in three events.
Registration forms are accepted at the International Tennis Centre at Zayed Sports City. Contact Laith Al Ani ([email protected]) for more information.
