Tennis Canada is still expecting a full house for the Davis Cup World Group First Round tie at University of British Columbia's Thunderbird Arena this weekend, despite the absence of Spain's Rafael Nadal, which has led to spare tickets being available.
Tennis Canada declared the match a sellout on December 1, as local tennis fans anticipated the comeback of Nadal, the former world number one.
But Nadal, who suffered a left knee injury that kept him out of the London Olympics, is no longer expected to play this weekend. He is expected to play his first tournament in seven months next week in Vina del Mar, Chile.
Extra tickets became available and were released via Ticketmaster last month. And this week Tennis Canada resorted to Groupon to unload almost 400 category 1 and 2 tickets worth $127.80 and $206.20 at 50% discounts.
"We got back more tickets than we expected from Spain and (the International Tennis Federation) last minute that we had to hold for them," Tennis Canada CEO Michael Downey told Business in Vancouver.
"The Vancouver market thinks we are basically sold out so it's tough to get the word out that some tickets actually exist. We still have a few hundred left to move, but basically the place is sold out."
Tennis Canada also used Groupon last summer for Rogers Cup, "to help sell a couple weaker sessions," Downey said.
The total Davis Cup tie capacity, including temporary bleachers in the upper east end zone, is 6,214 – approximately 1,400 more per day than the February 2012 tie with France, Downey said.
The Czech Republic dethroned Spain in November's Davis Cup championship. Also missing the trip to Vancouver are David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro.
Canada's Milos Raonic, ranked number 15 in the world, faces 51st-ranked Albert Ramos at 1 p.m. followed by Frank Dancevic against Spaniard Marcel Granollers. Granollers and Marc Lopez take on Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil in the Saturday 1 p.m. doubles.
Raonic and Granollers play Sunday at 11 a.m., followed by Dancevic and Ramos.
Live coverage is on Sportsnet Pacific, West, Ontario and East.
Thunderbird Arena was the secondary Olympic hockey venue and the exclusive Paralympic sledge hockey venue during the 2010 Winter Games, but has struggled to fill dates for concerts and sporting events.
