Australian Open 2021: Men’s Qualifying to be held in Doha, Women’s Qualifying in Dubai
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The maiden Grand Slam event of the year, Australian Open, has been confirmed to begin from a delayed date of 8 February 2021. Many unforeseen obstacles were dealt with vying to the spread of Covid-19. Herein, it was ultimately agreed upon that the qualifying rounds will take place outside Australia.
Tennis Australia, the organiser of the event, has recently declared that the qualifiers for men will take place in Doha, while the same will be held for women in Dubai. This decision was reached upon after a multitude of negotiations between the T.A and the Victorian government.
Further, 128 players from each category will compete in hopes to snag one of the 16 qualifying spots in the main draw. These matches will take place from 10 to 13 January.
Men’s Qualifying: Players scheduled to compete and more details
The men’s qualifying matches will be held at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, Qatar.
Some notable names who will compete for a spot in the main draw are the former Australian Open boys’ singles champions, Sebastian Korda and Lorenzo Musetti. Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, frenchman Hugo Gaston and former junior World No.1 Bernard Tomic will also be in attendance.
Moreover, a few veterans will aim to snag a place in the main draw. They are; former World No. 5 Tommy Robredo, former World No.10 Ernests Gulbis, former World No. 12 Viktor Troicki and former World No. 14 Ivo Karlovic.
Women’s Qualifying: Players scheduled to compete and more details
The women’s qualifying matches will take place at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium and Complex in Dubai on the aforementioned dates.
Craig Tiley, the Tournament Director, expressed his gratitude towards the authorities of the UAE for their help in the smooth conducting of the qualifying rounds. He said, “We appreciate the assistance of our friends and colleagues in Dubai. For hosting the Australian Open 2021 women’s qualifying event due to the current travel restrictions into Australia.”
The Dubai Sports Council reacted to this by issuing a statement for the organisers of the A.O 2021. This stated, “We are really proud to welcome 128 tennis players for the women’s qualifying of the Australian Open 2021. The decision to host these events shows the global sports fraternity’s confidence. In Dubai’s ability to deliver top-notch tournaments in completely safe surroundings in these challenging times.”
Amongst the most successful players who were knocked out from their top ranks but are looking to regain dominance on the WTA Tour by aiming to appear in the main draw are; former World No.5 Eugenie Bouchard, two-time Australian Open doubles-champion Timea Babos, former Roland Garros finalist Sara Errani, former Wimbledon semifinalist Tsvetana Pironkova and former World No. 35 CiCi Bellis.
Also Read: Australian Open 2021: Top-seeds for the Men’s and Women’s singles category announced!
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Chhavi Jindal
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