Organisers of the annual Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge are hopeful of attracting the world’s top women’s tennis stars as the tournament expands over the next few years.
The 15th edition of the event concluded on Saturday, with 42-year-old Japanese player Kimiko Date-Krumm — ranked No. 121 in the world — becoming its oldest winner so far thanks to a 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Kazakhstan teenager Yulia Putintseva. But with a possible relocation from the Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa to the new tennis complex being built on the site of the former Metropolitan Hotel on Shaikh Zayed Road at Business Bay, Khalaf Al Habtoor, Chairman of the Al Habtoor Group of Companies, has high hopes for the future.
“Over a period of time we have perfected the art of putting this annual tournament together. We have a dedicated team led by Hani [Al Khafief] and Ivica [Ancic] and we can be proud of what we put together during this tournament,” he told Gulf News. “Our intention is to attract the best players from all over the world.
