Competitions in 9th Al Habtoor Juniors get under way.
The 9th Al Habtoor Tennis Cup got under way with 12 matches played in the boys and girls categories at the HUBB Tennis Club in Dubai Silicon Oasis, late on Friday.
According to chief organizer and Tournament Director Laith Al Ani, matches will be played on a daily basis for the junior categories mostly on the weekend, while the senior men’s and women’s contests will be played from 7 pm onwards during the course of the week.
Aptly named ‘Road to MADO’, competition is bound to be stiff as a total of nearly 300 players are involved in this annual tournament that will earn the winners in the junior sections a place at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open (MADO).
The competition will be held for junior boys and girls in four separate age categories (under-12, 14, 16 and 18) and three contests for seniors - namely Men’s Open, Women’s Open and Masters (34 years and above).
The finals for all eleven categories will be held alongside the final of the 27th Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge on December 8.
“This year, we have this extra added attraction of the ‘Road to MADO’, and that has given an added impetus to the local players in the UAE,” Tournament Director Laith Al Ani said.
“As usual, we will have some great matches that will see these young champions head off to Abu Dhabi and be part of such a prestigious tournament like the Mubadala Open,” he added.