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Kids join in the fun at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium

Over 700 school children from across the UAE took to the courts on Monday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium to help usher in this year’s tournament with excitement and energy.

Children from twelve schools in the Emirate participated in the Kids’ Day which included a tennis clinic for all ages and skill levels, entertainment, the opportunity to meet top players, and the chance to win prizes.

Held under the instruction of tennis coaches from the Clark Francis Tennis Academy, the two hour clinic gave kids an opportunity to interact with top WTA players, all while having fun and learning more about the sport. Clark Francis Tennis director Jon Guntley said “I thought the kids’ day went extremely well and ran very smoothly today. Many of the kids managed to play on the same court as the pros, and with some of the top juniors in the UAE. The doubles players, Cara Black and Sania Mirza, who is also a favorite here, joined in on the fun, which the kids loved!”

After an on-court lesson, Nikita, in Year 6 at Winchester School, said “I was very excited, it was a lot of fun and we learnt some moves and won some prizes.” Rayan, from year 5 at JPS said, “It was really fun playing and watching all the people playing too. I learnt lots of new stuff.”

The music and clinic was a big hit with both teachers and students alike. Suzanne Ryan from Wellington International School PE Department said: “Wellington have been doing this for 5-6 years. It’s nice to keep coming back, we use this trip to reward kids for their attendance and work ethic.”