Timeframe: Mubadala World Tennis Championship still serving it up after a decade

Nine years on, the tournament has come a long way since Andy Murray beat Rafael Nadal in the first year of the championship

British tennis player Andy Murray returns the ball to US player James Blake during their match on day one of the three-day Capitala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi on January 1, 2009. Murray won the match in two sets 6-2, 6-2. Six top 10 players, top-seeded Rafael Nadal, Swiss Roger Federer, Russian Nikolay Davydenko, Britain's Andy Murray and US players Andy Roddick and James Blake, will compete for the 250,000 dollar prize during this three-day elimination event. AFP PHOTO/MARWAN NAAMANI / AFP PHOTO / MARWAN NAAMANI
Powered by automated translation

This photograph of Andy Murray was taken in January 2009. The tennis ace was on his way to winning the inaugural Capitala World Tennis Championship (now the Mubadala World Tennis Championship) at Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex.

Nine years on, the tournament has come a long way since Murray beat Rafael Nadal 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 that first year – quite the feat considering the line-up included Roger Federer, Nikolay Davydenko, Andy Roddick and James Blake.

Women have been added to this year’s programme, with Serena Williams making her debut this weekend in a match against Jelena Ostapenko. Williams adds firepower to the event following the withdrawal of key players Nadal, Milos Raonic and Stan Wawrinka from the men’s draw. Meanwhile, Murray made a surprise appearance on court on Thursday.

______________________

Read more:

______________________