This year’s Mubadala World Tennis Championship had its fair share of misfortunes.
First, less than two weeks before the start of the event, the French duo of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils pulled out with injuries.
Then, with Rafael Nadal and Nicolas Almagro, one of the late replacements, making their return from injuries, a couple of the matches probably did not live up to their billing.
Almagro was brushed aside 6-3, 6-2 by Stan Wawrinka in just 61 minutes on Thursday while Nadal was whipped 6-2, 6-0 in his opening match the next day by Andy Murray.
On Friday, Wawrinka, the Australian Open champion, kept to his tradition of unpredictability, lasting only 57 minutes on the court against world No 1 Novak Djokovic in a 6-1, 6-2 drubbing.
Still, the fans did not seem to care. They packed the Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex, especially on the final day, in anticipation of what should have been a riveting finale between the three-times defending champion Djokovic and the winner of the inaugural edition, Murray. It was not to be.
A couple of hours before the final, tournament organisers announced Djokovic’s withdrawal with an illness, leaving many fans disappointed.
Given all those setbacks, this year’s event probably did not match the success of previous editions, but Greg Sproule, the managing director of organisers IMG Middle East, dismissed any such suggestions.
“I still think it’s been one of the most successful tournaments,” Sproule said.
“When we look at ticket sales, we look at the community things we have done to grow the game at the grassroots level. Thanks to our friends at Mubadala, I think it is a success.
“I think the player field that we’ve managed to assemble is phenomenal and I’m proud of that.
“Guys and ladies get injured, and when it does happen, you make the best decision with the best information that you can.”
With tournaments such as the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) and other exhibitions around the globe encroaching on the players’ rest and recovery time, observers worry about an increase in the number of off-season injuries. Tsonga and Monfils both took part in the inaugural IPTL and were advised by their doctors to rest following the three-week tournament.
However, Murray, who appeared in the Manila leg of the IPTL, said he does not believe these new tournaments in the off-season could lead to more injuries, as some warn.
“I train every single year over in Miami, normally from the first week of December through until the last few days in December,” the Scotsman said. “There isn’t any rest time for the players. They are training, working out and preparing.
“I personally wouldn’t want to play three weeks of matches during that period, but playing a few matches against high-quality players, like I did over here in Abu Dhabi, can be good.”
Djokovic, Nadal, Wawrinka, Feliciano Lopez and Almagro, the other players in Abu Dhabi last week, expressed similar opinions about the MWTC and are looking forward to being invited again next year.
So, while the event might have suffered a little because of injuries this year, it remains a favoured destination for top players on their way to Australia.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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