Australian Open Champions Ready for Dubai
- Djokovic and Sharapova hope to add the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships title to their recent grand slam success -
Dubai, UAE, January 28th, 2008: Australian Open champions Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova are ready to follow up their Melbourne Grand Slam triumph by adding the 2008 Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships title to their impressive list of achievements.
Djokovic has twice beaten Roger Federer, including a straight sets victory over the title holder in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, and he has high hopes that he can topple the reigning Dubai champion again when they clash at the Dubai Tennis Stadium. Sharapova is also on a high after claiming her third Grand Slam title, and she is determined to go one stage better than her appearance in the 2006 Dubai final when she fell to Justine Henin.
“I think Dubai is one of the best ATP events,” said Djokovic. “I had an amazing experience last year. I had a lot of support there, and the people there are treating the players as a king, with a lot of respect. They try to make you very comfortable so you feel like you’re at home, and they succeed in that, and I’m really looking forward to getting there.”
Sharapova has won the Australian and US Opens, as well as Wimbledon, but her bid to win the Dubai title two years ago was derailed by a rare rainfall that meant she had to play two matches in one day. Now she’s looking forward to trying again.
“I really love the event,” said Sharapova. “They do an amazing job and I really love going to Dubai.”
Both players face the toughest possible opposition, with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Andy Murray and Nikolay Davydenko among those standing in the way of Djokovic, and Justine Henin, Ana Ivanovic, Serena Williams, Jelena Jankovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova just some of the top names bidding for the title against Sharapova.
“The Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships has always attracted the very best players in the world, and we are especially pleased to welcome the Australian Open winners,” said Colm McLoughlin, managing director of tournament owners and organisers Dubai Duty Free. “We are also proud to have the top four men in the world playing in Dubai, as well as nine of the top ten women.”
Play at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, which is held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, begins on February 25th 2008 with the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour tournament, and is followed by the ATP event from March 3rd to 8th.
