DOHA, January 26, 2016
As tennis’ greatest ambassadors plan to descend upon Doha for the Qatar Total Open, being held February 21-27, 2016, the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex is preparing the venue for a host of athletes, sponsors and fans.
The venue was inaugurated by H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Emir, in 1992. The stadium had an initial capacity of 4,500 seats but it was later enlarged in 2008 to seat the current capacity of 7,000 spectators. 2008 also saw additional renovations to the set-up of the venue with the addition of new stands, VIP boxes, Lower, Middle and Upper sections and the VIP Village, Public Village and Food Court.
Currently, the venue has one Centre Court, four show courts, and 20 outside courts. This makes the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex the ideal setting for one of the greatest sporting events on the world stage. 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.
The Public Village offers fun and entertainment for the entire family. When not courtside watching matches, fans can take part in a variety of activities in the Public Village. 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 Total booth is always a favorite among fans and WTA Tour players who stop by daily to sign autographs. Other sponsor tents include Fifty One East, Qatar Duty Free, Wilson, and Qatar Airways. The Kids Zone will host activities like face-painting, medallion-painting, arts and crafts and will also include inflatable castles and an obstacle course.
The VIP Village provides an opportunity for fans to mingle with players, sponsors and other VIP guests – all in a luxurious and relaxing atmosphere. Guests can enjoy a variety of international cuisines, live stations and beverages, while some of the best lounge DJs in the city provides music throughout the event. Guest can collect their copy of the Official Tournament Program at the VIP Reception Desk, purchase official Qatar Tennis Federation merchandise, strike up a conversation with other VIP guests over espresso at the coffee corner, and even meet tennis stars.
The Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex also provides medical services, restrooms and an information kiosk for all those attending the games.
Tournament Director, Saad Al Mohannadi, 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 theQatar Total Open 2016.”
The 2016 event will see the top 8 players including world No. 1 Serena Williams, world No. 2 and 2014 champion Simona Halep, world No. 3 Garbine Muguruza, world No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska world No. 5 Maria Sharapova, defending Champion Lucie Safarova and a host of other top players.
Tickets are on sale at www.qatartennis.org and at the following locations: City Center, Lagoona, Landmark and the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex.
