Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XVIII

Tennis, Anyone? Abu Dhabi hosts a number of tennis matches, but this was no ordinary tournament. To begin with, in preparation for the exciting events, a tennis court was laid with rye grass to replicate Wimbledon itself, making it the very first grass court tennis tournament in the UAE. The Emirates Palace hotel spent two full weeks and 1,500 hours of work on an intense automated grass irrigation, levelling out the grass on the impressive lawns to ensure the most perfect surface possible for the unprecedented grass tournament. With the aid of a specialist machine, they ensured that the court surface remained exactly a regulation 0.4 inches throughout the duration of the three day tournament. Quite an impressive feat, one that shows the dedication and commitment of everyone involved in creating this amazing event. As long-time fans of the sport, we were thrilled to see the main tournament, essentially a ‘Who’s Who’ of some of the greatest ever to play the game. The ten star players – Tim Henman, Pat Cash, Richard Krajicek, Younes El Aynaoui, Mansour Bahrami, Mikael Pernforns, Peter McNamara, Jana Novotna and Marion Bartoli – were all flown in by Etihad Airway for the weekend. So it was with great anticipation that we headed out to day two of the event, dedicated as ‘Fortnum’s Friday’ in honour of title sponsor Fortnum & Mason. The festivities got underway under sunny skies, with former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek facing off against Younes El Aynaoui in a competitive and thoroughly entertaining exhibition match against the stunning backdrop of the Emirates Palace hotel. After a chance to stroll about the magnificent grounds, stretching our legs and indulging in some truly delectable cuisine, we reassembled for the second exhibition of the day – a match pitting tennis legends Mikael Pernfors and Peter McNamara against Mansour Bahrami and Henri Leconte, with all players giving the spectators a top-notch game. Over the ensuing course of the event, we got to see another thoroughly entertaining doubles match: Pat Cash and Younes El Aynaoui take on TimHenman and Mikael Pernfors. Fromwhat we could see, the Tennis at The Palace weekend was every bit as unforgettable for the pros as well. Whilst the players come from different generations – Bartoli being the youngest at 30 years of age, and Bahrami the veteran at 58 – playing exhibition tennis has become something they all have in common having retired fromprofessional competition. So one definitely got the sense they truly enjoyed being around each other, and admired each other as tennis fans themselves. In fact, when former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash was very young, he had been a ball-boy for Peter McNamara. Some years later, Cash was an already established star when he met Krajicek, then a teenager, at a tournament in Korea. And now, at the inaugural Tennis at The Palace exhibition, they all had a chance to play each other, enjoy the event’s many amenities and attractions, and take in the many wonderful sights of Abu Dhabi. For example, Marion Bartoli and Jana Novotna were spotted shopping at Avenue at Etihad Towers; a group of the tennis greats played golf at Yas Links; and Cash, El Aynaoui and Henman went sailing on the Etihad Towers Volvo 60 – a remarkably swift yacht that once sailed around the world in the Volvo Ocean Race. Former British champion Tim Henman remarked that he hopes he gets invited back for next year’s edition. “When I had the opportunity to play here it was an immediate ‘yes’. If they want me next year, I’ll be back for sure,” he said. We echo his sentiments completely. We are already looking forward to next year’s event. Our deepest thanks go out to the incredible event organisers, sponsors, players, and of course, the simply peerless Emirates Palace.