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As some of tennis’ greatest ambassadors plan to descend upon Doha for the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, being held December 30, 2013 – January 4, 2014, the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex is preparing the venue for a host of athletes, sponsors and fans. |
The venue was inaugurated in 1992 and had an initial capacity of 4,500 seats but it was later enlarged in 2008 to seat the current capacity of 7,000 spectators. In 2008, additional renovations were made to the set-up adding new stands, VIP boxes, Lower, Middle and Upper sections and the VIP Village, Public Village and Food Court.
In 2012, two more show courts were added. Currently, the venue has one Centre Court, four show courts, and 20 outside courts. Set up of the Public Village, VIP Village, and Kids Zone are now underway and the venue is being transformed into an interactive, entertaining home for tennis and so much more during the first week of the New Year.
The Public Village offers fun and entertainment for the entire family. The Food Court is located to the left of the Public Village where food and beverages can be purchased from top vendors such as Pizza Hut, Asiana, Arbys, Sterling Fast Food, TCBY and Coffee Beanery.
To the right of the Public Village are the sponsor booths and Qatar Tennis Federation merchandise store. The ExxonMobil booth is always a favourite among fans and ATP World Tour players who stop by daily to sign autographs. Other sponsor tents include Fifty One East, Qatar Duty Free, Wilson, BMW, and Qatar Airways. The VIP Village provides an opportunity for fans to mingle with players, sponsors and other VIP guests – all in a luxurious and relaxing atmosphere. The Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex also provides medical services, restrooms and an information kiosk for all those attending the games.
Tournament Director, Karim Alami, says of the preparations, “The Qatar Tennis Federation is committed to providing the best experience for players, fans and sponsors and everyone can feel the excitement as preparations begin for the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2014.”
The 2014 event will see world No 1 Rafael Nadal, defending champion Richard Gasquet, world No 3 David Ferrer, world No 4 Andy Murray, and world No 7 Tomas Berdych begin their ATP World Tour season in Doha. With a 32-player singles field and a 16-team doubles draw, the event boasts a strong line-up of players from around the world. Tickets are on sale at www.qatartennis.org and at the following locations: Villaggio, City Center, Lagoona, Landmark and the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex.