The Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge is entering its third year in Dubai and Frank Stamford meets the tournament director to find out how this year's contest went at the Metropolitan Resort & Beach Club in April

Three years ago, a new tennis tournament was inaugurated in Dubai with US$25,000 in prize money sending only minor ripples through the world of professional women's tennis. The field consisted of an enthusiastic line-up of players from the top 500 and there were back slaps all round for the organisers after a successful week of tennis.

But the 2000 Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge, which concluded in April, was proof that what started at the bottom end of the tournament ladder is well on its way to becoming one of the leading emerging events on the tour. With prize money now standing at US$75,000 and hospitality for players covered by the organisers, the 2000 event attracted a superb field with two players in the top 100 leading a line-up of up-and-comers hovering just below the big time.

The event turned out to be a festival of tennis at the impressive Metropolitan Resort & Beach Club, with exceptional matches enjoyed by the enthusiastic Dubai public who took advantage of free admission in considerable numbers.

The writing was on the wall from the first round. The players to beat would be those aforementioned top 100 players, Adriana Gersi and Tathiana Garbin, who were awarded the tournament's first and second seed status respectively.

But both faced potentially tricky semi finals against two of the tour's rising stars. Gersi faced Angelika Bachmann of Germany who only joined the tour last year and is tipped for greater things. She could not upset the form book though and bowed out of the tournament on the end of a thumping 6-1, 6-2 defeat exacted by Gersi in under an hour.

Spanish teen sensation Marta Marrero was up next and suffered the same fate, going down in straight sets to a more experienced and powerful player in Garbin.

So the dream final was set between Gersi and Garbin. Gersi was the slight favourite thanks to her 13-place advantage over Garbin in the world rankings, and the match went to form. Gersi held her nerve to sink Garbin 6-4, 6-3 in just over 80 minutes.

It was another great tournament though for the organisers who are already planning on holding a similar tournament to launch the new Metropolitan Palace Hotel in Beirut.

"We have got bigger and better with each year," said tournament director Samer Ghazi. "We have had some positive feedback from many of the girls and some very polite comments made by some of the officials who attended. We will just have to wait and see what we can offer for next year."

There was some consolation for Garbin though, the Italian teamed up with good friend Katalin Marosi, of Hungary, to win the doubles title the previous day. It was the first victory on the women's tour for the pair after they teamed up for the first time just three months earlier.

Garbin and Marosi displayed admirable teamwork to get the better of Angelika Bachmann and Tina Krizan in two competitive sets 7-6 (7-5) 6-3.

The presentation of trophies was made by Sheikh Hasher Al Maktoum, chairman of Tennis Emirates, who provides tremendous personal backing to the tournament. Another regular at the courts during the week was Khalaf Al Habtoor, chairman of Al Habtoor Group, which has led the way by introducing this event to the Middle East.

The Players
The Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge has gained a superb reputation in tennis circles with officials singing its praises ever since its inception three years ago. But the warm response from the players this year showed it has indeed become one of the leading emerging tournaments on the world circuit.

Adriana Gersi
It was no wonder that Adriana Gersi was quick to give her glowing endorsement for Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge. The Czech Republic star, ranked 73 in the world before Dubai, left US$12,000 richer and 64 ranking points better off after lifting the trophy at the Metropolitan Resort and Beach Club. The 24 year-old top seed demolished Tathiana Garbin 6-4, 6-3 in the final and now has her sights firmly fixed on breaking back into the top 50. "I reached number 48 in the world in June 1997 and I am determined to get back into the top 50," she said. "This was an important tournament for me because of the ranking points up for grabs. I feel I am playing as well as I did two years ago. I hope I can build on this success and the form I have shown this week. "The Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge is a tremendous tournament for me to come and play in. Full credit to the organisers for getting it to these very high standards after just three years. Great venue and hospitality too." Victory for Gersi ensured automatic entry for the US$173,000 Strasbourg International in France the following week. It also swelled her personal earnings from professional tennis beyond the US$300,000 mark, not bad considering she only turned professional in 1994. Although still struggling to break into the big time, with her second round elimination at this year's Australian Open a prime example, many who saw her performance in Dubai will say confidently that the name Gersi could well go on to cause an upset or two at Grand Slam events in the future.

Tathiana Garbin
Tathiana Garbin's defeat to Adriana Gersi in the final certainly did not take the gloss off a great tournament for the second seed who is ranked 86 in the world. The 22 year-old Italian has enjoyed a tremendous rise to prominence after just two years on the tour and 2000 looks like being her best year to date. Despite failing to progress past the first round of the Australian Open in January, Garbin went on to reach the final of the Bogota Open, losing 2-1 to Patricia Wartusch at the final stage. She was knocked out early in Sao Paulo in her next tournament, but bounced back with a vengeance in Dubai. "I am having a good year," said the right hander. "Adriana was too good for me in the final, but overall Dubai was good for me and I would love to come back here next year and win!" Garbin did not go home empty handed though, she teamed up with Katalin Marosi to win the doubles crown. "It was a shame I could not win both titles, but better luck next year." Garbin was a crowd pleaser in Dubai and was gracious in defeat. The 46 ranking points won will certainly boost her world standing, while the US$7,500 runners-up cheque will add to her US$130,000 career earnings to date. Last year, Jelena Dokic was the name most people were talking about in Dubai. The 16 year-old Australian was tipped as a future world number one and she went on to reach the quarter finals of Wimbledon, scalping non other than world number one Martina Hingis along the way. This year's Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge dug up another nugget in the form of Spanish teen sensation Marta Marrero, who was eventually eliminated in the semi finals by Tathiana Garbin. Nevertheless, her name will be followed by Dubai tennis fans as closely as Dokic was last year. "The Tour is still an adventure to me," said the 17 year-old. "I am in my first year so it is an eye opener and I am learning all the time. Dubai was very different to what I expected. I would certainly love to come back. "I hear the weather is like this all year around. Maybe I should come and live here! It was a fantastic week. I have learned a lot from this tournament this week. I will have happy memories of Dubai."