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- Dubai 04:25 05:43 12:19 15:46 18:50 20:09
(From left) DDF Hostess, George Horan- President Dubai Duty Free, Colm McLoughlin – Executive Vice Chairman Dubai Duty Free, Novak Djokovic, Alison Lee – Executive Vice President International Group – ATP, Salah Tahlak - Tournament Director, Sinead El Sibai - Vice-President Marketing Dubai Duty Free, DDF Hostess, at the Award Presentation.
The ATP has announced the Tournaments of the Year in the 2013 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon, with repeat winners the Shanghai Rolex Masters and Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships joined by newcomer the Aegon Championships as the most favoured ATP World Tour events in their respective tournament categories.
The Tournament of the Year awards, voted annually by ATP players, recognise the leading standards set across the three tournament categories on the Tour.
Shanghai, Dubai and The Queen’s Club in London win respectively at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000, 500 and 250 levels.
The Shanghai Rolex Masters claims the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 category for a fifth straight year, since the tournament’s first edition at the level in 2009.
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The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, which this week welcomes five Top 10 players including five-time champion Federer and four-time titlist Novak Djokovic, collects the award for the 10th time in 11 years.
“As the tournament organisers, it is a great honour to once again receive the award for Best Tournament in the ATP 500 category for the 10th time,” said Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free.
“We have always tried to ensure that the players have a fantastic experience when they come to Dubai and that we create a very relaxed and friendly environment.
“Also over the years we have greatly enhanced the facilities, including the opening of our own five-star hotel on-site, the Jumeirah Creekside, which has been very well received by the players.
“Our thanks to the ATP and the players for once again recognising the efforts that we have made to ensure that the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is top of their list year after year.”
Djokovic, the defending champion, said: “It’s been voted for six times in a row as the best 500 tournament, and it’s definitely one of the best organised tournaments in the world. They make sure that all the players feel like they’re at home.
They have great facilities, and now with the new hotel it has become even more convenient for the players to be close to the courts. For a player to be part of such a great event is always an honour.”
The Aegon Championships ends the longest reign in the ATP World Tour Awards - Bastad’s 11-year run at the ATP World Tour 250-level - as it receives the honour for the first time.
In 2015, the tournament will be upgraded to the ATP World Tour 500 level as part of a longer three-week grass-court swing between Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
Last year, Andy Murray claimed the Aegon Championships title for a third time before becoming the first British man in 77 years to win Wimbledon.
“They put on a great tournament for the players,” he said. “It’s got a different feel to it because it’s a club.
“Queen’s is a great event with a lot of history, both personally for me and for the game as a whole. It's where I won my first professional match and my first title in Britain and the grass courts there are as good as any in the world.”
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