As tennis season in North America begins to approach, once again the BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden promises to be an entertaining affair. For all tennis fans, March 10th should be a date marked on your calendars. Last year, the 2014 edition, featured men’s doubles and singles. The doubles featured a clash of brothers as World #1 ranked pair, Bob and Mike Bryan, took on tennis legends John and Patrick McEnroe as the Bryan brothers emerged victorious 8-3. The singles match presented a battle of two current stars, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray with Djokovic winning in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(2). The 2015 edition of this annual tournament, alike last years, will not disappoint. Held at the World’s Most Famous Arena, the two matches played will feature men’s and women’s singles.
According to SeatSmart, this year’s tickets are currently available for fans to purchase on the secondary market at an average of $143.94. However, just so see this great tennis action, it will only cost fans $35.00 on the secondary market to get in to the BNP Paribas Showdown, which is more expensive than BNP Paribas Open tickets on SeatSmart.
The Men’s singles match will see Roger Federer square off with Grigor Dimitrov. Roger Federer, currently ranked #2 in the ATP Men’s rankings, is one of the greatest players to ever take the court. The 33-year-old pride and joy of Switzerland holds numerous world records. Since turning pro in 1998 he has won a total of 281 Major matches and 84 career titles, including 17 Grand Slam singles titles. He is one of only seven men to capture the elusive career Grand Slam. His opponent Grigor Dimitrov is in the infancy of what seems to be stardom destined career. The Bulgarian, currently ranked #11 in the ATP Men’s rankings, is one of the most successful of all Bulgarian professional tennis players of all-time, despite the fact that he’s 23 years old. Dimitrov’s rise to the top of the rankings has seen him become the first Bulgarian to ever break into the ATP top ten. The duo has met three times before, with Roger Federer the winner in all three. The most recent match was played this January in Australia.
The women’s single match features a meeting of familiar opponents, Monica Seles and Gabriela Sabatini. This match will mark the 25th anniversary of their unforgettable five set thriller at the 1990 season ending, WTA Championship. It will also be played on the same court they will faced each other on during the 1990 WTA Championship. The pair of hall of famers has played 14 times, with Seles the winner in 11. Seles, the former Yugoslav world #1, had an extremely decorated career. Her accolade of winning 53 career titles included 9 Grand Slams. Sabatini, the 1990 US Open Champion, also enjoyed a tremendous career before her retirement. The Argentine recorded 27 career titles and held a ranking in the women’s ATP top ten for a span of 10 years.
This one night tennis exhibition is a must attend for all tennis fans. Since the first BNP Paribas Showdown was held at Madison Square Garden in 2008, the event has become a cornerstone of welcoming in tennis season. For those planning on attending, now is the time to purchase tickets while they are still available as these matches are sure to be worth more than the price of admission.
