Tennis News

ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA – The WTA announced today that Dubai Duty Free, the world’s leading airport retailer, has extended its longstanding global sponsorship of women’s tennis.

Under the agreement, Dubai Duty Free continues as one of the WTA’s premier sponsors, with the partnership’s core elements designed to align Dubai Duty Free’s standing as the single largest airport duty free retailer in the world with the WTA’s premium assets.

The Dubai Duty Free Player Ambassador Program will be supported by WTA players Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Zhang Shuai of China. Wozniacki continues her role as a valued
ambassador for the sixth year and Zhang Shuai is newly introduced into the program, representing Dubai Duty Free’s focus on China and leveraging WTA’s extensive exposure and reach in the region.

Additionally, the agreement continues Dubai Duty Free’s sponsorship of the WTA Year-End World No.1 singles and doubles awards, most recently presented to Angelique Kerber and Sania Mirza at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

A WTA sponsor since 2004, Dubai Duty Free’s partnership with the WTA has over the years been marked by leadership and innovation. Dubai Duty Free has been a longstanding supporter of the WTA, having been the first event in the Middle East to award equal prize money and a strong supporter of the growth of women’s tennis throughout the region. Dubai Duty Free is the owner, organizer and title sponsor of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, an equal prize money Premier tournament on the WTA calendar and a cornerstone event for women’s and men’s tennis in the Middle East. The ATP week is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and will once again attract the top players in the world.

Past winners of the tournament include several former WTA World No.1s including four-time champion Justine Henin, three-time champion Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport and Amélie Mauresmo.

“The WTA is extremely pleased to continue our partnership with Dubai Duty Free,” stated WTA CEO and Chairman Steve Simon. “Dubai Duty Free has provided its unwavering support for women’s tennis and we look forward to this next chapter together in growing the sport even more.”

Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Dubai Duty Free, remarked, “We are delighted to continue our long standing association with the WTA and have introduced some new marketing initiatives that will create further global awareness of our brand. In the meantime, we are looking forward to a great fortnight of tennis, commencing on the 19th February with the WTA Premier 5 week and welcome all of our players to Dubai.”

STANFORD, CA, USA – No.2 seed Dominika Cibulkova was among the last of the big names to kick off her Stanford campaign, but survived a late surge in the first set from Urszula Radwanska to advance into the last eight at the Bank of the West Classic, 7-6(3), 6-3.

Watch live action from Stanford this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Cibulkova was playing her first match since reaching the quarterfinals of Wimbledon – where she upset former finalist and Agnieszka Radwanska, Urszula’s elder sister, en route – and marrying her longtime fiance during finals weekend.

“I have to admit, I was just on the other side of the planet a few days ago and I’m playing on a different surface, so it’s very very tough,” she said after the match. 

The Slovak showed few signs of that rust from the outset as she raced ahead 5-2 in the opening set, but Radwanska, a former Top 30 player, undid the deficit with speedy efficiency to force a tie-break. Speaking with Andrew Krasny during her on-court interview, Cibulkova took the momentum shifts in stride.

“But tennis life is tough because you’re here one day, there the next and you have to adapt. But I was trying my best even though I wasn’t feeling great on the court today. But I was mentally tough and I made it through.”

Taking another 5-2 lead – this time in the tie-break – Cibulkova made no mistake and took the first set in a little over an hour. The second set appears more straightforward, but the pair twice exchanged breaks before the former World No.10 was able to close out the match.

“At the right time, I was focused and I didn’t panic though I lost a few games I should have won. My forehand was working and I knew I had to go for that, and I had to play smart today because I knew she was playing really well.”

Set to play Misaki Doi in the next round, Cibulkova is just one match away from returning to the Top 10 for the first time since early 2015, just before she took time off to treat a lingering Achilles injury.

Alison Riske captured another complicated three-setter in Stanford, dismissing qualifier Ana Bogdan, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. Looking to reach her first-ever WTA quarterfinal, the Romanian saved five match points before Riske clinched a spot in in the last eight for a second straight year.

Catherine Bellis backed up her win over Jelena Ostapenko with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Sachia Vickery to make her own debut in a WTA quarterfinal. The American first burst onto the scene in 2014 when she upset Cibulkova to reach the second round as a 15-year-old, later reaching the third round of Miami, where she played Serena Williams for the first time. Thursday’s win earned her a primetime showdown with top seed Venus Williams.

“I just had to focus really hard on my game plan for the entire match,” Bellis told press after her win. “We’ve played each other so many times; we actually played one another last week. We practice together all the time too, so we know each other’s games pretty well. I had to focus on me, my tennis, and playing my game. That’s what really got me through.

“It’s not going to be easy [playing Venus], but I don’t think anything is impossible. Obviously, it’ll be such an honor playing one of the best players of all time, and she’s done so much in her career and still doing amazing things. It’s going to be fun, and I’m very excited.”

#WTA Ranking Watch: If @Cibulkova advances to the SF at @BOTWClassic this week, she will return to the Top 10 on Monday

— Kevin Fischer (@Kfish_WTA) July 21, 2016