Ana Ivanovic and Elena Dementieva have played each another on clay, grass, and hard courts, but on Sunday they met at a new location—an island in the middle of the desert.
Courtesy of title sponsor Sony Ericsson, Ana Ivanovic and Elena Dementieva rallied on a replica tennis court, specially built for the occasion, on Palm Island in the middle of Doha Bay in the Arabian Gulf.
Sony Ericsson continues to bring innovation to sport, taking women’s tennis beyond the confines of the traditional court to places it has never been before. During the Sony Ericsson Open, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal participated in water tennis, another historic first for the sport.
“It was such a fun way to start the Sony Ericsson Championships; it was amazing and so unusual to be playing tennis on a deserted island with no one there but Elena, myself and the ballboys,” said Ivanovic after hitting with Dementieva. “I’m really looking forward to the tournament here in Doha and a great finish to the 2008 season.”
The Sony Ericsson Championships is the prestigious end of season finale to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour year; and sees the world’s top eight women singles and top four women’s doubles teams compete for the title and a share of a record prize money of $4.45 million.
“This was a fantastic way to celebrate the beginning of the Sony Ericsson Championships. All the players have played brilliantly during the season and have earned a deserved shot at this prestigious title,” said Aldo Liguori, Corporate Vice President and Head of Global Communications & PR.
“We are committed to innovating and introducing unique activities in women’s tennis to continue to attract new fans and broaden the appeal of the sport on a global basis. It has been a great year for the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and I hope through events like this we can attract more fans to the Tour and the exciting prospect of the 2009 season.”
