History
The first tournament was held in 2001 as Qatar Total FinaElf Open for the prize money of $170,000, as a Tier III tournament. In 2004, the tournament got Tier II category because of an increase in prize money to $600,000, and in 2007 to $1,340,000. For the 2008 season, which was the last season it was held, the tournament became Tier I, for the prize money of $2,500,000. The tournament then took a two year break due to the venue hosting the WTA Tour Championship thus not being played in 2009 or 2010. The tournament returned in 2011 as a Premier Event with the prize money of $721,000 and a 32-competitor singles draw (16-pair doubles draw). In 2012, The tournament got Premier 5 status due to the success of last year's tournament that featured seven of the top ten players and also due to the recent history of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Read more about this topic: Qatar Ladies Open
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“Classes struggle, some classes triumph, others are eliminated. Such is history; such is the history of civilization for thousands of years.”
—Mao Zedong (1893–1976)
“Yet poetry, though the last and finest result, is a natural fruit. As naturally as the oak bears an acorn, and the vine a gourd, man bears a poem, either spoken or done. It is the chief and most memorable success, for history is but a prose narrative of poetic deeds.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The whole history of civilisation is strewn with creeds and institutions which were invaluable at first, and deadly afterwards.”
—Walter Bagehot (1826–1877)