Visiting London for the WTF

[TennisLovaLova]

Can I buy tickets at the o2 or is it only sold online?

[Ash_Smith]

Last few years a lot of sessions have sold out in advance (though not all) to be safe I would buy my tickets in advance.

[TennisLovaLova]

airplane tickets: done
hotel: done

Now: the O2 arena tickets

To be sure to see RF play live, I'm gonna buy both Monday and Tuesday's night sessions.

Those who've been there, what do you think of the view at Level 4?
Can we see something or not?
I mean I want to watch some tennis, not figuring which dot is who!

The other level tickets are soooo expensive...

[West Coast Ace]

If anyone else is looking for a decent hotel, I used the Kensington Close Hotel. A minute walk from the High St Kens tube stop; about 7 minute walk to Hyde Park.

London in November. I hope the OP sees the sun at least once.

[Dags]

He's not guaranteed to play the night session. Whilst in 2011 and 2010 the top two seeds started in the evening, in 2009 the number 2 seed (Rafa) played in the afternoon.

Whilst the night match has better television viewing, they don't necessarily put the biggest drawing match on then. In 2010, Federer played Murray during the afternoon. As you only know which match is scheduled a couple of days before, the cynic in my thinks this was because they had unsold tickets for that session.

[Thud and blunder]

Originally Posted by TennisLovaLova

airplane tickets: done
hotel: done

Now: the O2 arena tickets

To be sure to see RF play live, I'm gonna buy both Monday and Tuesday's night sessions.

Those who've been there, what do you think of the view at Level 4?
Can we see something or not?
I mean I want to watch some tennis, not figuring which dot is who!

The other level tickets are soooo expensive...

Level 4 is high up; not US Open nosebleed style, but you definitely feel removed from the action...they even warn you not to choose these tickets if you are afraid of heights! The other weird thing is it's really dark up in the heights; I almost fell asleep watching Djokovic - Nadal, which I wouldn't have thought possible. When I've gone for the more expensive seats, the experience has been incomparably better, in my opinion.

BTW, I would not recommend the aquarium; it's expensive, disappointing, and packed IMO.

[TennisLovaLova]

Originally Posted by West Coast Ace

If anyone else is looking for a decent hotel, I used the Kensington Close Hotel. A minute walk from the S Ken tube stop; about 7 minute walk to Hyde Park.

London in November. I hope the OP sees the sun at least once.

It's gonna be part of the trip. A little rain!
Maybe the wife will find it a little romantic...

Originally Posted by Thud and blunder

I almost fell asleep watching Djokovic - Nadal, which I wouldn't have thought possible. When I've gone for the more expensive seats, the experience has been incomparably better, in my opinion.

Incredible! tx for your feedback

[chrischris]

A good friend of mine and his GF are going .. He is from Dunfermline Scotland so guess he will have a blast..
The crowd will surely be patriotic or even nationalistic.

[PureAlph4]

I personally wouldn't be worried about sitting in the upper tier. I've been going to multiple sessions every year since the WTFs came to London, and perversely, in some ways I prefer sitting high up. At Wimbledon there's nothing better than being up close to the action (especially on the outside courts), but at the o2 I'm fairly indifferent.

Here are a couple of crappy photos from my phone from last year:

Upper tier (up in a corner) for Fedal (Tuesday night?)


Lower tier (pretty much courtside) for Djok v Ferrer (Wednesday night?)


I think the view from the top tier is fine as long as your eyesight in reasonably good. For the night sessions I also think the atmosphere is better up there; in my experience lower tier courtside is largely populated by City workers on hospitality who arrive late and drunk, leave early, talk throughout the matches, and have at best only a passing interest in tennis (i.e spend the evening shouting supposedly ironic rubbish while guffawing).

It's a great event though. As you're on holiday (and with your wife), then it's advisable to buy tickets in advance, but for the past two years I have always been able to pick up much cheaper tickets a day or so before from online agents (Viagogo / Ticketmaster - but only for upper tier 'unspecified' seats) if I decide I want to go to an extra session.

Have a great time!

[SempreSami]

Do people actually lower their asking prices on viagogo? The legitimate touting on that site disgusts me.

[PureAlph4]

Originally Posted by SempreSami

Do people actually lower their asking prices on viagogo? The legitimate touting on that site disgusts me.

I think the organisers flog remaining non-premium tickets for cheap starting from a couple of days before the start of the event, using Viagogo (official secondary seller) as a primary seller (keeping full price ticket sales at Ticketmaster, the official primary seller, unobstructed).

Agree re the touting.

[Giggs The Red Devil]

Last time I’ve been there, I stayed at Britannia International hotel at Canary Wharf. It was alright for its price (about £60 a night). It’s only one tube station away from O2 arena.

[Dags]

Has anyone's tickets arrived yet?

[TennisLovaLova]

Originally Posted by PureAlph4

I personally wouldn't be worried about sitting in the upper tier. I've been going to multiple sessions every year since the WTFs came to London, and perversely, in some ways I prefer sitting high up. At Wimbledon there's nothing better than being up close to the action (especially on the outside courts), but at the o2 I'm fairly indifferent.

Here are a couple of crappy photos from my phone from last year:

Upper tier (up in a corner) for Fedal (Tuesday night?)


Lower tier (pretty much courtside) for Djok v Ferrer (Wednesday night?)


I think the view from the top tier is fine as long as your eyesight in reasonably good. For the night sessions I also think the atmosphere is better up there; in my experience lower tier courtside is largely populated by City workers on hospitality who arrive late and drunk, leave early, talk throughout the matches, and have at best only a passing interest in tennis (i.e spend the evening shouting supposedly ironic rubbish while guffawing).

It's a great event though. As you're on holiday (and with your wife), then it's advisable to buy tickets in advance, but for the past two years I have always been able to pick up much cheaper tickets a day or so before from online agents (Viagogo / Ticketmaster - but only for upper tier 'unspecified' seats) if I decide I want to go to an extra session.

Have a great time!

Tx for the info!
But judging by the first pic I cant really tell if i'd see anything.
I mean could you see the ball or even face expressions?
Sorry for asking this again but I really need to know if the tickets in the upper are still ok to watch clearly!

I have a friend at Barclay's she's trying to get me a pass for the whole week
Fingers crossed!!!!

Otherwise I'll get regular tickets anyway but lower seats are sooo expensive and I'd have to buy 2 full day passes to be sure to see federer play monday or tuesday

[PureAlph4]

I suppose it depends what your expectations are.

My experience is that you can see the ball, and seamlessly follow the game, from 'bad' seats in the corners of the upper tier (though I have never sat right at the very top). You're right, though, that you probably won't be able to read players' facial reactions, though you can read their general body language and gesticulations.

I hadn't watched any games in what I would have considered to be 'bad' seats until last year, when I picked up some cheap tickets at the last minute for sessions I wanted to watch, as I had the same prejudices about the view. I was perfectly happy following matches from those positions, though, so I'm now fairly indifferent as to where I sit.

If you want the up-close tennis match experience of seeing every ball zip right by you and every wince or groan, then buy lower tier tickets. If you are satisfied in just following the game itself, and sucking in a bit of the atmosphere, then the upper tier is fine (though again, the lower rows of the upper tier will feel closer than up at the very top).

Also note that the schedule of the tournament has changed this year, so it runs from Monday to Monday, rather than Sunday to Sunday. This means that within the group stages, the best bet for watching the top four play each other would be the Wednesday and Thursday (as winners of the first matches play each other).

[TennisLovaLova]

Ok perfect precisions
Tx for your help once again.
I dont know where those barclay execs are seated i hope i'll get the best view possible then

[Ash_Smith]

^^^I've watched from up in the gods before and although the angle takes some getting used too, its a pretty good view and very useful for analysing tactical patterns etc (if that's your thing!)

[TennisLovaLova]

Originally Posted by Ash_Smith

^^^I've watched from up in the gods before and although the angle takes some getting used too, its a pretty good view and very useful for analysing tactical patterns etc (if that's your thing!)

I see what you mean!
But the wife seems to have a crush on the goat so...
Just kidding! Aint gonna spend so much cash
Waiting for the barclays' sponsoring actually!!!
In france they have internal commitees to provide workers with great deals on this kind of events

[Dags]

Monday

1.45 Murray vs Berdych
7.45 Djokovic vs Tsonga

Tuesday

1.45 Federer vs Tipsarevic
7.45 Ferrer vs Del Potro

Doubles to be drawn later.

(source is the Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/ATPWorldTour)


I have tickets for Tuesday afternoon, and am delighted as it means I can tick Federer off my 'must see' list before he retires.

[bezs]

Have fun anyone that is going.