Nadal and Federer kept apart in draw

Graham Caygill

• Last Updated: December 11. 2008 9:32PM UAE / December 11. 2008 5:32PM GMT

The schedule for the inaugural Capitala World Tennis Championship has been announced and it has thrown up some tantalising clashes.

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Nikolay Davydenko, Andy Roddick and James Blake make up the line-up for tournament which runs from Jan 1-3 at the Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex at Zayed Sports City.

The action on New Year’s Day will see former US Open champion Andy Roddick take on the world No 5 Nikolay Davydenko in the opening match, which will start at 3pm.

That will be followed straight afterwards by Britain’s Andy Murray, who will be looking to build on a strong 2008 that saw him reach the US Open final and also triumph in three Masters events, as he takes on the American player James Blake.

The Jan 2 itinerary will comprise the semi-finals. The world No 2 and winner of 13 grand slams Roger Federer will compete against the victor of the Murray and Blake meeting in a clash that will begin at 3pm.

In the second semi-final, the world No 1 Rafael Nadal, who won the French Open and Wimbledon this year, will make his debut as he faces the winner of the clash between Roddick and Davydenko.

The winning semi-finalists will then compete on Jan 3 in the final, with the start time for that game being 5pm.

Tickets for all three days of the event are on sale at www.boxofficeme.com and are proving popular, much to the delight of tournament organisers.

“We are expecting a series of exhilarating matches,” said Peter Wilding, deputy chief executive of Capitala.

“Every seat at the ATP standard Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex offers fantastic views so it’s not surprising that tickets are selling fast.

“This event is a unique opportunity to watch some of the world’s best tennis players compete in every match which is guaranteed to keep everyone enthralled from start to finish.”



gcaygill@thenational.ae