Now it’s cheap! This is how much beer costs in Finland’s match in Spain

Leo-Pekka Tähti was watching top tennis at familiar corners. Mika Heikkila

Blue and white supporters start to gather in the yard of Málaga’s sports shrine José María Martín Carpena on Tuesday afternoon already well before the start of the Davis Cup quarterfinals. Thousands of Finns have arrived to cheer on their country, which is ranked number one in the competition, last year’s winner, Canada.

Good-spirited people enjoy the 20+ degree sunshine with a beer glass in hand. The Davis Cup has managed to get around the ban on the sale of alcohol, which is typical of the Andalucian sports games, by organizing the service outside the hall.

The servings are reasonably priced. A half-liter pint of beer and a glass of wine cost only a few tens of cents more than in the old town of Málaga. Both beer and wine are sold for four euros.

On the other hand, the good-sized hamburgers are downright affordable. They have the same price as in the city’s tourist area. Hunger goes away for 12 euros and for two euros you can buy a drink.

Blue and white hall

The hall is full of Finnish blue cross flags. The players march onto the field Daruden Sandstorm roaring in the background, at the same time the Finnish supporters start a deafening scream.

In the end, the players of both teams line up at the net. They have a sign that directly says: Not War.

Finland in the first match Patrick from Kaukova receives Canada Milos Raonic. Raonic takes the first set, but the support of the Finns does not end. The announcer has to say “thank you” a few times, so that the players get peace of mind during the pass.

Finnish captain Jarkko Nieminen sits calmly on the bench and instructs Kaukovalta every now and then. After a good performance, he vents by raising his left fist upwards.

– This was a rare situation for me. I have never played singles in Davis Cup before. I didn’t really know how to read Raonic’s serves – not even second serves, Kaukovalta admits.

Both Raonic’s first and second serves would have been unstoppable against almost anyone. It’s no wonder that he was ranked number three on the ATP list when he was younger.

There are almost a hundred Canadians there, but they also make noise when Raonic wins the first match directly 6–3, 7–5.

“Great service”

The former model who arrived in Benalmádena from Helsinki on Sunday, became famous from the 1980 Miss Finland contest Birgitta Öunap is a sports fanatic. Öunap watches all sports on TV, and with him, many men come second in sports knowledge.

– Usually I also like to bet, but now no money has been invested, Öunap says.

Piloting his own sports program on the Twitch.tv service Aleksi Valavuori arrived on the scene with his new girlfriend. However, they did not want to be in the same picture.

– We have VIP tickets. The service is great as always in tennis. There are our own chefs and several drinking stations.

Multiple prize medalist in the T54 category of wheelchair winding Leo-Pekka Tähti jokes that there aren’t more famous people here, but habitually poses for the photo.

Tähti has lived in Fuengirola for a month after the summer. He is training in Spain for the Paris Paralympics at the athletics stadium next to José María Martín Carpena, where he has a small warehouse for a wheelchair.

Former chairman of the Suomi club Suomela in Los Pacos, Fuengirola Paavo Ässämäki has come with the club’s padel team.

– We rented a bus for this. Everyone had to buy their own ticket, because some people want a more expensive seat than others. It was a surprise to see how the Spaniards sitting next to us cheered for Canada in the first match, but Finland in the second, says Ässämäki.

The ticket prices for the afternoon matches ranged from the 40-euro top shelf tickets to the 435-euro vip tickets.

Forced victory

In the second match of the evening Otto Virtanen face Canada Gabriel Diallo. Virtanen is facing a forced victory, but he takes care of the victory for Finland 6–4, 7–5.

– Virtanen was on fire in the second match. It was certainly one of his best matches, Valavuori analyzed.

The match between Finland and Canada will be decided in doubles.