Dubai: Dubai Duty Free (DDF), owners and organisers of the Dubai Tennis Championships are confident that the annual tournament will lose none of its sheen due to the withdrawal of world number one Serena Williams and Australian Open Champion Angelique Kerber when the main draw gets under way at the Dubai Tennis Stadium from Monday.
Williams informed organisers that she will not make the trip to Dubai due to an illness, making this the third instance in four years for the younger Williams’s absence from this event. Defending champion Simona Halep will be the new top seed, while Garbine Muguruza will be the second seed.
The Dubai tournament had received an initial list of five of the top 10 players in the women’s draw while four of the top 10 had confirmed the men’s competition that is scheduled to follow next week. However, Agnieska Radwanska and Alize Cornet had communicated that they wouldn’t be playing in Dubai earlier this week.
While fans had been trying to come to terms with the absence of top draw Roger Federer from the men’s tournament, Germany’s Kerber - who upset Williams in three sets in the Australian Open final last month - announced in the eleventh hour that she would not coming to Dubai as well.
“I think she [Serena] is not well and we have got word from the WTA saying that she has withdrawn from our tournament. And usually when something like this happens then the WTA officials have a medical done and submit a report to the tournament,” Colm McLoughlin told media here yesterday.
“It’s a pity she [Serena] is not coming but we have four of the top 10 players in the world. We have last year’s winner [Simona Halep] and we are quite happy with the field but at the same time, we are disappointed that the big players have withdrawn from our event. It is not a major setback. I wasn’t aware she has done it so many times in the past. I only know that she has done it [withdrawn] before, and I am disappointed,” he added.
Both players took to Facebook to announce their withdrawal. “I’m disappointed to have to withdraw from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. I have come down with the flu and I am not at 100%, so I need to take this time to recuperate. I look forward to returning to one of my favourite parts of the world and seeing my fans soon,” Williams said in her post.
“I am sad to announce that I had to withdraw from this great tournament in Dubai due to an injury of my right upper thigh. I wish all of you a lot of fun and great week of tennis! Looking forward to being on court again as soon as possible,” Kerber said.
It was, of course, business as usual as the annual championship was formally announced to the media in the presence of former world number one Jelena Jankovic, Carla Suarez Navarro, Karolina Pliskova and Julia Goerges at a crowded conference yesterday.
“While there are withdrawals from our tournament, a former world number one like Ana Ivanovic has had some good things to say about out tournament,” McLoughlin pointed out.
Tournament Director Salah Tahlak was hopeful of some exciting tennis despite the absence of key players. “We have always strived to bring only the best to Dubai. Some of the top players have pulled out, but we still have a strong field. It should be engrossing week of tennis,” he said.
