In the only final played in Dubai, the Anglo-Finnish pair of Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten defeated Arevalo/Pavic 7-5, 7-5.
Now that the Dubai Duty Free Championships are over, the tennis players face the challenge of travelling to Indian Wells, on the other side of the world, for the first Masters 1000 event of the season.
Due to the ongoing hostilities in the Persian Gulf region, the airspace of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, as well as Iran, Iraq, and Israel, is closed indefinitely, with the cancellation of all flights by some of the world’s largest airlines (Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways).
Western Option
One viable option could be to travel by land (or partially by land) the approximately 1,000 kilometres separating Dubai from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, whose airspace is currently open, and then fly to Los Angeles from there. There are some facilities for small planes or helicopters to land along the way, but most of them are private facilities for government use or for the private use of oil companies operating in the area.
However, with all commercial airports in the UAE closed, the operation could take a long time due to traffic (everyone will be trying to do the same thing) and likely long queues at Ghuwaifat/Al Batha customs. Let’s not forget that some players may not have visas or documents to enter Saudi Arabia, as this detour was certainly not planned. And since we are in the middle of Ramadan, the month of penance in the Islamic calendar, during which activities are greatly reduced, obtaining visas quickly from embassies may not be an easy task.
East Option
An easier alternative by land, but definitely more complicated in terms of flights, could be to travel by land to Muscat, the capital of Oman, just under 500 kilometers away, and then fly from there, although there are no direct flights to the US and routes to the east (including Europe) would have to bypass the Persian Gulf area. However, Muscat airport has been closed because it is completely full due to all the flights that were headed for Gulf airports and have been diverted to Oman, so this option is not viable at the moment, but it could be in a few hours.
The situation is still very fluid, and it will be interesting to see how it evolves and how the tennis players, their travel agents, and above all, the Dubai tournament will manage to untangle this complicated knot.
What is the latest?
As of March 3rd, Spanish newspaper Marca reported that 41 people accredited to the Dubai Tennis championships are still in the country. These include players, coaches and staff members. The players were presented with the option of travelling out of the UAE via car, but declined to do so. A decision backed by the ATP’s head of security, who recommends staying in the country until they can get a flight out.
Players have been granted a flight reservation for Tuesday, but there is no guarantee that the airspace will be open. Iran is currently targeting American military posts in Dubai, and should they do so again on Tuesday, it is very unlikely that commercial airlines will depart due to safety concerns.
“The ATP’s instructions have been very clear so far: it is safest to stay at the hotel and wait. From the United Arab Emirates, it is possible to leave the country by land to Oman or Saudi Arabia, where the airspace is currently open, but even that would not be a simple journey,” Heliovaara wrote in his blog.
“The trip to Muscat takes about five hours, but according to the information we have received, there are severe traffic jams at the border. In addition, it is difficult to arrange suitable transportation, as cars with UAE license plates are not allowed to drive to Oman without a permit, and the border cannot be crossed on foot, which would allow the journey to be continued in another car. The journey to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia takes over ten hours, and the road after the border is in poor condition. So it’s not an ideal route without proper preparation.
“The organizers are providing hotel accommodation and full board, and everything else seems to be functioning quite normally here. Of course, we want to leave as soon as possible, but sometimes it’s best to just wait.”
As on Monday morning, Emirates has confirmed they have temporarily suspended all operations to and from Dubai, up until 1500hrs UAE time on Tuesday. According to Dubai Airport’s official website, all departures and arrivals for today have been cancelled.
In to the latest official information published by the official authorities in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, three people have been killed and 58 injured as a result of Iran’s ongoing strikes.
Should players managed to leave Dubai in the coming hours, they will have a very short turnaround for Indian Wells. The events main draw begins on Wednesday but all seeded players will have a first round bye.
Note: Article written by Vanni Gibertini and Adam Addicott
