Announcer for the 2021 Qatar Total Open, Andy Taylor recaps Demi Schuurs and Nicole Melichar’s championship match victory over Monica Niculsecu and Jelena Ostapenko.
[2] Demi Schuurs -12- (NED) and Nicole Melichar -11- (USA) | Announcer Introduction
The #2-seeds in this year’s draw – these two top Doubles talents first joined forces back in September – and in just their second event together, captured the title in Strasbourg. Semifinalists last month at the Australian Open – yesterday, they defeated Sania Mirza and Andreja Klepac to reach today’s championship match.
She owns 12 WTA Doubles titles, has been ranked as high as World #7 – and 2-years-ago, reached the championship match here in Doha with partner Anna-Lena Grönefeld. Competing in her 24th career Tour-level Final, from the Netherlands – Demi Schuurs.
She is a 2-time Grand Slam Doubles Finalist – and in 2018, captured the Mixed Doubles title at Wimbledon. She owns 8 WTA Doubles titles, and is back in Doha with a career-high ranking of World #11. Now a 19-time Finalist on Tour, from the United States – Nicole Melichar
- FF — W — Monica Niculsecu -57- (ROU) and Jelena Ostapenko -21- (LAT) | Score: 6-2, 2-6 10-8
- SF — W — Sania Mirza -254-(IND) and Andreja Klepac -40- (SLO) | Score: 7-5, 2-6 10-5
- QF — W — Jessica Pegula -89- (USA) and Bethanie Mattek-Sands -23- (USA) | Score: 6-1, 6-1
- R1 — W — Alexa Guarachi -24- (CHI) and Darija Jurak -39- (CRO) | Score: 6-2, 6-3
Monica Niculsecu -57- (ROU) and Jelena Ostapenko -21- (LAT) | Announcer Introduction
This tandem joined forces for the first time this week – eliminating the 3-seeds Ena Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama in the opening round. And yesterday – in an exciting match tiebreak – they knocked-out this year’s top-seeds Katerina Siniakova and Barbora Krejcikova to reach today’s championship match.
She owns 9 WTA Doubles titles, has been ranked as high as World #11 – and in 2017, reached the Wimbledon Doubles Final with partner Chan Hao-Ching. Now a 27-time Doubles Finalist – from Romania, Monica Niculescu.
She is back in Doha’s Doubles Championship for the third time. In 2018, she teamed with Gabriela Dabrowski to capture the title in her Doha Doubles debut. Last year, they reached the Final again. As if that weren’t enough, 5-years-ago on this court – at just 18-years-old – she reached the championship match in Singles (her first career WTA-1000 Final). From Latvia – Jelena Ostapenko.
- FF — L — [2] Demi Schuurs -12- (NED) and Nicole Melichar -11- (USA) | Score: 2-6, 6-2 8-10
- SF — W — [1] Katerina Siniakova -08- (CZE) and Barbora Krejcikova -07- (CZE) | Score: 2-6, 6-3 10-8
- QF — W — [WC] Elena Vesnina -NR- (RUS) and Laura Siegemund -34- (GER) | Score: 6-3, 6-4
- R1 — W — [3] Ena Shibahara -15- (JPN) and Shuko Aoyama -14- (JPN) | Score: 6-4, 6-2
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2021 Qatar Total Open: Different Date. Unusual Circumstances.
In 2021, due to the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, the WTA Tour rescheduled the Qatar Total Open to take place the first week of March. A portion of the season typically carved-out for week-1 of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. When Indian Wells postponed its tournament due to COVID-19’s continued threat to the Coachella Valley, the Tour reinvented the 2021 calendar.
As a result, in January Abu Dhabi hosted the season’s first event. A WTA-500 tournament specifically created to get players back on court. Dubai then hosted Australian Open qualifying, while main-draw entrants traveled to Australia for two weeks of quarantine. Meanwhile, Tennis Australia moved the Australian Open to the second week of February to accommodate the country’s strict pandemic protocols. Immediately following quarantine, the WTA hosted several new tournaments in Melbourne Park. All designed as lead-up events to the season’s first Major. After Oz, Adelaide hosted its postponed tournament, while most traveled to the Arab Gulf to prepare for the Qatar Total Open and Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Doha: Rebranded in 2021 from Premier to a WTA-500 Tournament
The WTA also rebranded the 2021 Qatar Total Open a WTA-500 event, after the Tour realigned its tournament tier structure during the off-season. Rather than International, Premier, Premier-5 and Premier Mandatory; starting in 2021, all WTA events became classified as WTA-250, WTA-500 and WTA-1000 tournaments (similar to the ATP Tour).
Moving forward, the Qatar Total Open and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships will continue to alternate the WTA’s two Arab Gulf events. More specifically, on “even” years the Qatar Total Open will host the WTA-1000 event with a field of 64. Consequently, during “odd” years, it will feature a WTA-500 event with a field of 32.
Coronavirus: Delivering a top-shelf international event responsibly
While the Qatar Tennis Federation allowed fans to attend the 2021 Qatar Total Open; the QTF sold tickets at reduced capacity. All wore masks, encountered temperature checks upon arrival, and adhered to social-distancing guidelines – required to sit several seats apart.
Players, WTA staff and umpires lived in their own “bubble” at the Four Seasons. Meanwhile, tournament support, lines-people, ball persons and the announcer stayed in a separate “bubble” at Ezdan Palace. All underwent routine coronavirus testing and regular temperature checks. Everyone was required to wear masks at all times (except players and umpires during competition). The locker-room was off-limits for the athletes until their match was on-deck, and none were allowed to shower on site. Every aspect of post-match recovery took place at the player hotel.
Pandemic Event Hosting: Champions adjust
From behind-the-scenes pandemic protocols to extreme “socially-distanced” announcer interviews and trophy presentations – the Qatar Tennis Federation and WTA adhered to every science-guided precaution to ensure the safety of all involved. And by doing so, despite all of the obvious challenges, delivered another top-shelf experience for both players and fans on site and those watching around the world.
Hosting high-profile international events during a devastating pandemic is possible. That is, when organizers have the courage, compassion and ingenuity to reinvent the way things are done; when they have the flexibility and financial support to adjust expectation. And as we’ve all learned after one year of separation, isolation, anxiety and heart-break: the “escape” that televised sports provides is invaluable to mental health. A welcome distraction to a very un-welcome new reality.
