World No. 2 tennis player Rafael Nadal of Spain and his compatriot David Ferrer will arrive in Taiwan this morning and spend the following two days playing an exhibition match as well as coaching young tennis players, the event organizer said yesterday.
After helping Spain reach the Davis Cup final with a 4-1 win at home to France, the duo’s arrival is expected to create a buzz and inspire greater interest in the sport, the organizer said.
The organizer said 10-time Grand Slam champion Nadal and world No. 5 Ferrer would first meet with 10 tennis students from National Taiwan Sport University today.
Tomorrow, the top-seeded players will play an exhibition match at the school’s gymnasium.
Ticket prices for the match are between NT$2,800 and NT$13,800 for about 13,000 seats -available at the gym.
The Spaniards should put on quite a show, as Nadal, who has claimed 46 singles titles, said he was in perfect shape on his Facebook page.
“This week has been productive!” Nadal said on Wednesday, ending the post with his schedule in Taipei and a smiley face.
Although behind in their head-to-head series 4-13, Ferrer started a great season this year by advancing to his second Grand Slam championship semi-final at the Australian Open after he ended Nadal’s quest to capture a fourth straight major title.
It is the third time this year that Taiwan has invited world-class tennis players to spice up the tennis scene. In January, former world No. 1 Andre Agassi and Marat Safin played a series of exhibition matches in Taipei and Kaohsiung, while Russian tennis stars Maria Sharapova and Vera Zvonareva also showcased their skills in Taipei last week.
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