Agassi, Federer enjoy unique experience - 網球

Agassi, Federer enjoy unique experience

ESPN.com news services

Imagine playing tennis 692 feet in the air.

The Burj Al Arab hotel was designed to look like a sail.

That's how Andre Agassi and Roger Federer spent their afternoon Tuesday
in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Burj Al Arab luxury hotel converted
its helipad to a grass tennis court, and Federer and Agassi checked it
for a "friendly hit."

"This was an absolutely amazing experience," Agassi told ATPtennis.com.
"When you first get over how high you are and start playing, it's an
absolute joy and it was a great time. I had no issues with the height
as long as I didn't have to bungee jump off the side."

The 4,467-square-foot court sits near the top of the 1,053 foot tower
that was built on a man-made island in the Arab Gulf. It took almost
three years to build the island before work even began on the sail-
shaped building, which was designed by architect Thomas Wills Wright,
according to the hotel's Web site.

"The view is absolutely amazing here, and it was very different when
I was asked to do this as I didn't know what to expect," Federer told
ATPtennis.com. "I have been in Dubai many times and have stayed at
Burj Al Arab before, but this was an absolute treat. To play tennis
with Andre on top of such an amazing hotel and overlooking the whole
of Dubai was absolutely spectacular."

Agassi, who is making his first appearance in the Dubai Duty Free Men's
Open, plays Feliciano Lopez in the second round on Wednesday. Defending
champion Federer faces Czech Ivo Minar to determine who will take on
Juan Carlos Ferrero in the second round.


http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=1997537

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