Safin to play in Thailand Open
Safin
Thai fans will get to see Russian giant Marat Safin, perhaps for the last time, at the PTT Thailand Open, which will be held at the Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani, from September 26 to October 4.
The former world No 1, who is on a farewell tour, hopes to win one more ATP tournament before ending his brilliant career at the end of the year.
Safin, the winner of the US Open and Australian Open, has always been one of the darlings of the Thai crowd due to his unique personality and aggressive game. His best showing in Thailand were two semi-finals appearances - in 2004 where he lost to Andy Roddick and 2006 to the eventual champion James Blake.
But the tournament's main attraction will be Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who will make his first appearance in the Kingdom. Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is also set to return to defend his title.
The organisers have also decided to give wildcards to Thai No 1 Danai Udomchoke in the singles and to Sonchat and Sanchai Ratiwatana in the doubles. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will be invited to preside over the opening ceremony on October 1.
Tickets for the PTT Thailand Open start at Bt300 and are available at all Thaiticketmajor outlets from July 18. Call 02 262 3456 or log on to www.pttthailandopen.org or www.thaiticketmajor.com for more details.
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