Eala-Tjen dream match pegged at P63k

Local tennis fans will have to break the bank if they want to get the best seat in the house when Alex Eala battles Janice Tjen of Indonesia in a friendly duel at the Philippine Arena on 8 December.

Dubbed as “Game. Set. Celebrate.,” the event features nine options with the most expensive – Platinum – amounting to a whopping P63,705, inclusive of premium seat and gala dinner on 7 December.

After Platinum comes the VVIP which costs P25,750 followed by Diamond (P20,600), Gold (P18,025), Silver A (P7,725), Silver B (5,665).

Bronze A looks quite affordable as it is pegged at P1,236 while Bronze B (side) and Bronze B (middle) cost P824 and P618, respectively, but there’s no guarantee that fans can clearly see the 21-year-old Filipina star slug it out against Tjen in the cavernous, 50,000-seater stadium.

The ticket prices in the friendly match that is being organized by Tatler Philippines and aims to celebrate Eala’s homecoming from a very successful season in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) campaign is way more expensive than what the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Lawn Tennis Association pegged during the WTA125 Philippine Women’s Open last January at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

On the contrary, in the Philippine Open, a sanctioned event that offered prize money and valuable ranking points, tickets in the qualifying matches cost only P200 and main draw matches amount to P1,000.

The prices increased to P1,500 for standard pass and P2,000 for premium pass for the semifinals and the finals, where Camila Osorio of Colombia stunned veteran Donna Vekic of Croatia to win the title.

During the press launch last month, Tatler Group CEO and chairman Michel Lamunière said they want to create the biggest celebration in the country, something that could surpass the current record of 51,954 fans when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal played in Cape Town in 2020."

"We want to create the biggest tennis celebration the Philippines has ever seen. And we have a real chance to make tennis history. We choose the Philippines. For one simple reason. We want as many Filipinos as possible to experience this moment together,"Lamunière said, adding that the event will also feature rising Filipino tennis stars, celebrities and more.