Sony Ericsson Championships Doha – Ivanovic and Dementieva Play On Island
Ana Ivanovic and Elena Dementieva have marked the start of the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha by having a hit on a desert island!
The Serb and the Russian played on a replica tennis court, specifically built for the occasion, on Palm Island in the middle of Doha Bay in the Arabian Gulf. The whole experience is even more special because of the stunning Doha skyline in the distance.
“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,” 2008 Roland Garros champion Ana Ivanovic said after the game.
Her opponent Elena Dementieva was also astonished: “It was such a special experience to play a game of tennis in the middle of the sea looking back at the Doha skyline – what a great memory to have of Doha.”
The purpose of such unusual places to play tennis is to drag attention of potential new fans and promote women’s tennis.
This is a marketing campaign that the WTA actually got right! They chose two of the best looking female tennis players in the world and then they put them in a crazy location and make them play tennis. This is great to promote the tour, however I still think they are missing a trick by not promoting the players personally a lot more!
