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ANNNOUNCER ANDY TAYLOR RETURNS TO THE QATAR TENNIS FEDERATION TEAM
Since the 2011 Doha Arab Games, announcer Andy Taylor has been a fixture with the QTF. From the Qatar TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil Open – to the Qatar Classic Squash Championship, the PSA Men’s World Championship, and World Padel Championship.
Over 10-years, he regularly returned to this gleaming city on the Arabian Gulf; but last year stepped-back from hosting international events to slow down and focus on other aspects of his voice acting career.
He made it eight months.
After 240 days in the recording booth. Behind a microphone. Only communicating with clients and partners through email, messaging, and video apps. – He realized how much he truly values the authenticity of in-person performance, and the “community” associated with working together, in person, alongside other professionals committed to excellence.
In August, Andy Taylor returned to New York for his 21st consecutive year as the Voice of the US Open.
And this February, returns to work alongside his revered colleagues at the Qatar Tennis Federation for the 2023 Qatar TotalEnergies Open, Qatar ExxonMobil Open and Ooredoo Qatar Major.
► MORE ANNOUNCER RECAPS FROM THE 2023 OOREDOO QATAR MAJOR
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WHAT IS PADEL?
Simply put, Padel is geometric eye candy. While it may not require the endurance and court coverage of tennis, it demands the angular dexterity and hand-eye coordination of squash. Its comparison to both is obvious. While smaller than a regulation tennis court, Padel’s field of play is similar in dimension and design, with a net dividing two teams of competitors. Meanwhile, the glass walls that encase the court affirms squash’s influence, though the relationship mostly ends there.
Scored identically to tennis, padel’s ball is similar to standard tennis balls – however serves are delivered underhand, and players wield composit padels rather than stringed racquets. Rallies are rapid fire, long in duration, and athletes strategically use the glass walls to deflect drives in angles awkward for opponents to return.
Ultimately, to be successful, reaction-time and tactics carry far more value than power. No player benefits by having an overpowering serve. Shot placement, lobs and angular creativity are cornerstones of the game. When four tactical clinicians do battle inside the glass (and in thrilling moments, outside the glass) – professional Padel is a sight to behold.
THE ORIGINS OF PADEL
According to lore, the sport originated in Acapulco during the late 1960’s and has ballooned in popularity ever since, specifically in Spain and Argentina. Today, most of the sport’s top athletes hail from these two nations, although Italy has also developed a passion for Padel over the years.
WHAT IS PREMIER PADEL?
For decades, the FIP (International Padel Federation) has been the governing body of the sport. That said, other privately-owned tours – mainly in Europe and South America – staged the majority of income-generating tournaments for professional talents. While grateful for the opportunity to earn a living, the players had little influence over the tours, their payouts, and often found their individual seasons dictated by sponsors.
Then – for the first time – in 2021 the FIP staged the World Padel Championship outside of Europe or the Americas. Padel’s popularity had recently exploded in the Middle East – and the Qatar Tennis Federation, under the direction of Paris St. Germain owner Nasser Bin Ghanim Al Khelaifi, won the bid. Following the event’s highly successful Asian debut, Khelaifi agreed to finance the launch of the FIP’s newest endeavor: The Premier Padel Tour.
Working alongside the player’s association, the FIP established an eight tournament tour built for growth – and by all appearances, the Premier Padel Tour is the future of the sport. Like tennis, there are four “Majors,” offering players the richest prize pool and points. Additionally, there are four P1 (Premier One) events, extending padel’s global reach to seven countries on five continents. As the sport continues to blossum, the Premier Padel Tour will add additional events and tiers to the calendar.
- MAJORS: Doha (Qatar), Italy (Rome), Paris (Roland Garros), Mexico (Monterrey)
- P1 EVENTS: Madrid (Spain), Mendoza (Argentina), New Giza (Egypt), Milan (Italy)
2022: PREMIER PADEL TOUR’S DEBUT SEASON
Last year, Paquito Navarro and Martin Di Nenno captured the sport’s first Major in Doha. World #1’s Juan Lebron and Ale Galan lifted the next two Major trophies in Rome and Paris. While Arturo Coello and Fernando Belasteguin captured the season’s final Major in Mexico.
Who will earn Premier Padel’s fifth Major title? Welcome to the Oordeoo Qatar Major 2023.
