With only about a week to go before several of the world’s top tennis players arrive in Doha to compete in the 2015 Qatar Exxon Mobil Tennis Open, tickets for the semifinals and finals have already sold out.
But tennis enthusiasts should still be able to grab seats for the first few days of the tournament, which runs from Jan. 5 to 10 at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex. Some seats for the quarterfinals on Jan. 8 are also still available.
Marking his first appearance in Doha, World No.1 and seven-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic is confirmed to be competing in the upcoming tournament.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal, World No. 7 Thomas Berdych and World No. 10 David Ferrer are also heralding the draw of the first ATP tournament of the season.
Commenting on the swift sale of tickets during this year’s championship, tournament director Karim Alami said in a statement:
“The tickets selling so well for the finals day of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open shows that people in Doha and Qatar are aware of the quality of the players such as Djokovic and Nadal and many others who are coming for the tournament.”
Tickets can be purchased at City Center, Landmark, Lagoona, Villaggio, onsite at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex and online here.
For those looking to catch some action before the tournament actually begins, qualifying rounds will be held on Jan. 3 from 11am and Jan. 4 from 3:30pm.
The qualifying rounds are free to the public and have drummed up excitement in the past. Last year, two qualifiers Dustin Brown and Peter Gojowczyk (both from Germany) made it through to the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.
Main draw play starts at 3:30pm from Jan. 5 -8. Semi-final play starts at 4:30pm and the finals commence at 5:30pm on Jan. 10. Gates open 90 minutes before the start of play each day.
Busy sports season
January kicks off a packed sports calendar for Qatar, which will host the men’s tennis tournament early next month, and then move on to the 24th Men’s Handball World Championships.
The handball tournament begins on Jan. 15 and run until Feb. 1. It is only the second time the World Championship will take place in the Middle East – and the first time it will be in the Gulf.
Also next month, the annual Commercial Bank Qatar Masters golf tournament will be held from Jan. 21 to 24 at the Qatar Golf Club. Famous UK reggae band UB40 will perform live there following the end of play on Jan. 23.
In early February, Spanish football team FC Barcelona has said it will hold a friendly match in Doha, though ticket sale details and who the team will play have yet to be announced.
And finally, the world’s best female tennis players will compete from Feb. 21 to Feb. 28 in the 2015 Qatar Total Open.
Thoughts?
