Azarenka tennis star starts coming to Vietnam

September 08, 2012 | 13:58

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World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka is expected to show off her skills on September 20 in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Belarusian will play in the 2012 Heineken Stars event along with three other world-class aces, world No.13 Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia, Frenchman Gilles Simon (No.17) and Spanish man Feliciano Lopez of (No.31).

They will perform in men’s and women’s singles, and mixed doubles at the Lan Anh Club, set to start at 7pm.

The short exhibition is conveniently situated after the US Open in New York and before the autumn Asian tennis swing in Tokyo and Beijing, according to the organisers – the Vietnam Tennis Federation and Heineken brewer Vietnam Brewery Limited.

Tickets cost VND2 million ($100) each at the minimum for all matches and available at Lan Anh, 291 Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, District 10. The organisers said last week there would be around 300 tickets for sale, though the court has 1,500 seats. The other seats are reserved for invitations.

Before the matches, the four aces will meet and talk to local fans as well as have friendly games with local junior players.

Azarenka, 23, secured a bronze in the women's singles and the gold medal in the mixed doubles at the 2012 London Olympics with compatriot Max Mirnyi. Her other achievements include two mixed doubles Grand Slam titles, the 2007 US Open with Mirnyi, the 2008 French Open with Bob Bryan.

The 2010 Heineken Stars saw Argentina’s Juan Monaco, Tommy Robredo of Spain and Americans Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey performing their skills at Phu Tho Indoor Stadium.

The first and second Heineken tennis shows also took place in the city in 2006 and 2008.