The Latvian professional tennis player will join three of the world’s top 10 players – the world number eight Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina, world number nine Milos Raonic of Canada and Japanese Kei Nishikori.
Tournament director Nick Freyer said this is the second time the Malaysian Open will play host to four of the world’s top 10 tennis players, which is an honour to the country, especially to the fans, he said in a statement here Wednesday.
“The tournament team is thrilled that the exciting Gulbis has chosen to make his first visit to Malaysia during the Visit Malaysia Year 2014,” he added.
Gulbis, 25, reached his current career high ranking following his brilliant run at the French Open last month, which also took him to his first Grand Slam semi-final.
Gulbis in the statement said that he had not played much tennis in Asia, and had never been to Kuala Lumpur.
“So I am very interested to go there and see everything. I hope that the people like me because I am sure they will not know me very well,” he said.
The prime minister’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, is the patron of the US$ 1,022,255 (RM3,305,328) tournament.
— BERNAMA
