Additional 500 seats per day to be sold for Davis Cup

If you are a big tennis fan, here’s your chance.

Tennis Canada announced Thursday that an additional 500 seats per day for each of the three days of the Davis Cup firstround tie between Canada and France at UBC’S Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre from Feb. 10- 12 will become available starting Monday at 10 a. m. through Ticketmaster.

If anyone doubted the popularity of the sport before now, they need look no further than the fact that the roughly 3,700 seats then available to the public in the arena were sold out within 30 minutes Dec. 1.

Organizers managed to scrounge up the additional 500 seats per day after they were returned to Tennis Canada from mandatory allotments given to international sponsors, the International Tennis Federation and the visiting nation. The organization also worked with the venue and UBC to reconfigure the setup to allow for more unobstructed seats.

There will be a six- ticket purchase limit per order, with ticket prices ranging from $ 18 to $ 85.

The province and city have each kicked in $ 100,000 for the event, in addition to $ 50,000 from Sport Canada.

The event marks Canada’s first appearance in the elite World Group since 2004.

A group of elementary students played a vigorous game of “miniature” tennis involving sponge balls at Thursday’s announcement at the Trout Lake community centre, demonstrating the involvement of Moresports, an organization dedicated to providing sports opportunities especially to those families who can’t afford them.

Davis Cup title sponsor BNP Paribas has donated 25 tickets per day to the event to MoreSports while Tennis Canada has donated equipment and funds for tennis coaches.

Mayor Gregor Robertson said the staging of the Davis Cup here cements the city’s status as a host of major international sporting events.

“I like the French. I respect them. However, it’s the home team that I know people are going to be out in force cheering,” said Robertson.

Tournament director Gavin Ziv said support from the fans and the local tennis community has been overwhelming.

The French tennis community is excited to be coming to Vancouver and will be bringing a large contingent of fans with them so “we have to make sure to get loud, patriotic fans in those seats,” said Ziv.