Tennis Showdown of Champions, Malaysia

With some of the biggest names in world tennis taking to the court, Malaysia's Showdown of Champions is set to be among the biggest sporting events of the winter.

Featuring the talents of Roger Federer, Björn Bjorg, John McEnroe, and James Blake – four of the biggest names in world tennis – the tournament will span two eras – taking place for one night only Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur.

The age old sporting questions of new vs. old, experience taking on youth and wisdom up against agility will be confronted as four tennis’ greats compete in both singles and doubles matches.

Showdown of Champions

The Putra Stadium will play host to this sporting spectacle; starting with Wimbledon’s all time great Bjorn Borg – who has a total of 11 Gran Slam titles to his name - taking on superstar John McEnroe.

Reminiscent of the early 1980 Wimbledon Tennis Championship finals, these two iconic players will battle it out.

The current score stands at 1-1 after the two finals of 1980 and ’81; and with both players trying to make it 2-1 in a match 27-years after their last confrontation; the stadium will be full of intense determination and passion.

The old boys will then give way to the young guns Roger Federer and James Blake; where they will try and out do their predecessors in style and power - showing them a modern game is the only game.

After these two matches, the tournament will culminate in what can only be deemed as an epic match – Europe vs. USA - as Federer joins forces with Bjorg and McEnroe teams up with Blake for the ultimate tennis Showdown of Champions.

The event takes place at the Putra Stadium on November 18th, with tickets for the event available here. Tickets for the event are available from £18 per person.

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is the ideal setting for such an event.

Sitting at the heart of Malaysia, the city - known as KL to the locals - is a kaleidoscopic mix of cultures, peoples and history.

A heady mix of bustling sky scrapers, hawker stands, bars and markets; KL really is famous as a city still firmly rooted in its proud Asian cultures and traditions, combined with the business, engineering and conveniences of any modern city.

With countless places to visit and things to do, KL is the perfect place to soak up the culture in one of Asia’s greatest cities.

Taste some Malay delicacies 421m high up at the revolving restaurant at KL Tower , with panoramic view across the whole city; then head down into the depths of the city to China Town, where bustling markets greet visotors, selling everything they can imagine.

The famous hawker stands of Petaling Street show guests a glimpse of the old KL; where the cultures of China, Thailand and India - among others - culminate in a feast of flavour, spice and delicacies.

Inspired by the Mogul Mosque in north India, the Jamek Mosque is also worth a visit. Built on 1909, the mosque is one of the oldest in the country and features three minarets which used to dominate the city's sky line – long before the modern skyscrapers.

The Orchid Garden and Hibiscus Garden are also places of interest, drawing crowds throughout the year.

For more information on the Malaysian capital, take a look at the official tourist site.

How to get there

In preparation for the Showdown of Champions event Skytrak Travel is offering an exclusive package; featuring three-nights in the Malaysian capital from £678 per person.

The price is based on two people sharing and includes return flights from London Heathrow, with Emirates, and three-nights bed and breakfast at the 3-star Corus Hotel.

Departures are on November 16th 2008.

Chris O'Toole