Tennis Nations Cup event returns to the UAE for the first time since 2010

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  • The Tennis Nations Cup has returned to the UAE for the first time since 2010.

    The return of the Tennis Nations Cup for the first time since 2010 has come as a welcome boost to a UAE calendar that is in desperate need of tournaments, says junior national team coach Hichem Bramly.

    A popular team event that follows a Davis Cup-like format and pits national sides comprised of expats and UAE players, the Tennis Nations Cup will return for its 22nd edition this weekend following a five-year interruption that was due to the loss of sponsorship funding.

    Organised by Al Nasr Leisureland and Tennis Emirates – the governing body of the sport in the UAE – the Nations Cup will run from March 4-12 and will feature 11 teams split into two round robin groups.

    Each tie between two sides will include two singles matches and one doubles, with action scheduled for a 16:30 start every day at Al Nasr.

    The UAE is fielding two teams – A and B – and Bramly explains how the competition serves as great preparation for Davis Cup.

    Emirati veterans Omar Behroozian – who also works with Bramly as a coach for the junior national team – and Mahmoud Nader Al Balooshi are joined by Fahad Al Janahi in UAE (A), while 17-year-olds Fares Al Janahi and Abdulla Ahli are in UAE (B).

    UAE (A) have been drawn in Group B alongside Iran, Tunisia, Ukraine and Norway while UAE (B) are in Group A with Belgium, Philippines, Great Britain, Russia and India.

    Bramly, who has been involved in UAE tennis since 2002 and has coached Fares, Fahad and Ahli since they were competing in Under-10s, says that the lack of tournaments staged in the country has made it very hard for local players to get match practice and that the return of the Nations Cup was much-needed.

    “We consider this as a good preparation for Davis Cup (next July) as it follows the same format and we have two teams representing the UAE in order to give all our players the maximum opportunity to play matches, because they really need it,” Bramly told Sport360.

    The popular tennis event follows a Davis Cup-style format.

    The popular tennis event follows a Davis Cup-style format.

    Following the conclusion of the Nations Cup, most of the UAE players will be travelling to participate in Futures and ITF junior events in Bahrain and Qatar, although the younger ones may find scheduling conflicts with school.

    Bramly has noticed a significant decrease in tournaments held in the Emirates over the past six or seven years and recalls a time, back in 2002, when he would compete in 14 events per year here in the UAE.

    This season, there are zero UAE men’s Futures events scheduled on the current ITF calendar, one women’s $75K held at the Habtoor and two junior ITFs, that took place in January.

    “The most important thing our players need is matches, because to be honest right now we don’t have as many tournaments as we had six or seven years ago,” explains the Tunisian coach.

    “The men’s events have significantly decreased because so many foreign coaches came to the UAE and all the courts are being used for commercial use. So the coaches invaded the courts and clubs, and the academies barely get a chance to organise tournaments, because tournaments would need at least four courts available for matches over a one-week period.

    “Also prize money is an issue. So there’s been a real stagnation in that sense.

    “There are barely any events anymore. So our players have to travel abroad to compete and to compete abroad you need to be able to take time off school, which isn’t easy.”

    Bramly says that the fact that the UAE tennis federation, Tennis Emirates, does not own a national tennis centre that would provide facilities for local players and host multiple events is a key problem.

    “Tennis Emirates really need to have their own centre. Look at Qatar, they have a centre, they have a full calendar of tournaments and a very strong development programme.

    “When I came to Dubai back in 2002, I was a retired player, but I still played 14 tournaments a year here. The clubs were cooperative and Tennis Emirates capitalised on that to organise events on their courts. But from 2006 things have changed with the advent of expat coaches. All courts are being used commercially.

    “Look what happened last January? The junior ITF was moved from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah at the last-minute because the Abu Dhabi Country Club decided they couldn’t host it. We tried to have it at Zayed Sports City but they with their members.

    “There aren’t that many big clubs in the country besides Fujairah, Zayed Sports City and the Aviation Club. So the options are limited.”

    Tennis Emirates have been saying a national centre would soon be made available for the past several years but no concrete plans have been revealed.

    Tennis Nations Cup draw

    Group A

    Belgium , Philippines, Great Britain, Russia, India, UAE (B)

    Group B

    UAE (A), Iran, Tunisia, Ukraine, Norway

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