10th
ATP Dubai
Duty Free Men's Open by
Ben Smalley |
World-class
tennis began Dubai’s sporting calendar
for 2002 with some of the biggest names
in the men’s and women’s game
competing in the Dubai Tennis
Championships from February 18–March
3.
The ATP Dubai Duty Free Men’s Open was
celebrating its 10th
anniversary this year and was fittingly
won by Fabrice Santoro, who was the
beaten finalist when the Dubai Open
first began in 1993. The Frenchman’s
6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Moroccan
Younes El Aynaoui in the final was even
more remarkable considering he was
suffering from a bout flu and had spent
most of the day in a wheelchair in
hospital suffering from acute
dehydration.
Santoro decided only 30 minutes before
the final that he would play and, with
dramatically reduced mobility, which
forced him to adapt his style
drastically, he somehow conjured up a
courageous victory.
"It was only half an hour before
the start that I decided to try,"
the Davis Cup star said. "I had a
shower and felt better and told myself
that if I felt bad I would stop after
ten minutes.
"I would probably have stopped had
I lost the first set, and I never really
thought I could win. But a human being
has amazing powers. Sometimes you feel
like you are going to die and you still
have resources."
Santoro had defeated Jiri Novak of the
Czech Republic in the semi-finals,
having already seen off the challenge of
Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia, Sebastien
Grosjean of France and Michael Kohlman
of Germany in the earlier rounds. El
Aynaoui, who won the title in Doha in
the first week of the year, had won
through to the final by beating reigning
Australian Open champion Thomas
Johansson in the semis and also saw off
top seed and reigning Dubai champion
Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain who
withdrew injured from their second round
tie.
Local hope Omar Bahrouzyan from the UAE
crashed out 6-1, 6-0 to Britain’s Tim
Henman in the first round, and reigning
Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisavic also
failed to cross the first hurdle, losing
to Nicholas Kiefer 6-3, 6-4 in his
opening match.
The addition of women’s tennis to the
Dubai Championships for the second
successive year saw Australian Open
semi-finalist Monica Seles, reigning
Wimbledon and US Open champion Venus
Williams and Anna Kournikova among the
big names wowing the crowds.
Williams knocked Kournikova out of the
competition in the second round 6-2, 7-6
and looked to be setting up a legendary
final clash with Seles, but a series of
unforced errors saw both Americans crash
out in the semi finals with Sandrine
Testud coming from behind to defeat
Williams 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 and Amelie
Mauresmo taking just 62 minutes to beat
Seles 6-4, 6-3.
Their victories set up an all-French
final, only the fourth in Sanex WTA Tour
history, which proved a thrilling climax
to the competition. Despite third-seed
Mauresmo winning in straight sets 6-4,
7-6, she was severely tested by Testud,
who had won their two previous clashes.
In the Doubles competitions, reigning
Australian Open champions Mark Knowles
and Daniel Nestor ousted defending
champions Joshua Eagle and Sandon Stolle
3-6, 6-3 13-11 to become the new men’s
doubles champions, while Barbara Rittner
of Germany and Maria Vento-Kabchi of
Venezuela defeated Testud and Roberta
Vinci of Italy in the women’s doubles
final.
The decision to branch out into the
Industrial Civils market with the
Polyethylene Plant in Al Ruwais and now
the Control and Switchgear Building at
the ‘K Station’ expansion at
DEWA’s power and desalination plant in
Jebel Ali has added another chapter to
the type of work that the highly
successful Joint Venture between Al
Habtoor Engineering Enterprises and
Murray & Roberts is able to handle.
It represents an exciting new era for
the Joint Venture, with tenders for
further industrial projects currently
being made.
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