An Intro to the 2011 Qatar Ladies Open
The 2011 Qatar Ladies Open will be held in Doha from 21 February to 26 February, after a hiatus of two years. The event, which is also known as the Qatar Total Open, has been a major part of the Women’s Tennis Association [WTA] Tour events since 2001. It is played on outdoor hard courts. It will be held at the International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, Qatar.
The tournament was known as the Qatar Total FinaElif Open in 2011, when it was part of the Tier III category. The total prize money awarded that year was US$170,000. Three years later, the tournament was promoted to Tier II due to an increase in the prize money; therefore, in 2004, the total cash prize awarded was US$600,000. It was further increased to US$1,340,000 in 2007.
In 2008, the tournament became a Tier I event. The total prize money was now US$2,500,000 and the tournament attracted top female tennis players from all over the world as one of the most challenging, lucrative events on the WTA Tour. However, 2008 was also the last year in which the tournament was played. This is because the same venue was chosen to host the WTA Tour end-of-year championships in 2009 and 2010, therefore the Qatar Ladies Open could not take place in those years.
The tournament has returned this year as part of the Premier events on the WTA. The total prize money awarded this year is US$ 7210,000. This year, the singles draw consists of 28 players in the main draw and 32 qualifiers, while there are 16 pros in the doubles draw. However, the tournament will be upgraded in 2012 to become a Premier 5 event, along with a cash prize of US$2,000,000 and 56 players in the main singles draw.
After almost two years off the tour, the event is returning with seven of the World’s Top Ten players in the draw. Tournament director Karim Alami, who is a former professional tennis player, says, ““This is one of the best fields ever assembled in Doha in a regular WTA event and obviously we are delighted. World number one Wozniacki is obviously the top draw but the fact that seven of the leading 10 are in Doha means we couldn’t have asked for a more auspicious re-launch.”
In other tournament news, Aspetar, Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital will now be providing medical attention to all the players taking part in the 2011 Qatar Ladies Open. Alami seems to feel this is a wise decision, saying, “Aspetar proved to be just the right partner for us, so it is our pleasure to sign this three-year agreement. The agreement gives us peace of mind knowing that tennis professionals who come to Qatar to participate in the Qatar Ladies Open will be in safe hands.”
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