Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

With the clock ticking on the final month of his ATP career, Finn Jarkko Nieminen is preparing for an emotional send-off with long-time friend Roger Federer by his side in a farewell event on November 9 in Helsinki.

Nieminen, ranked 135, won ATP titles in Auckland nine years ago and in Sydney in 2012. The home fete with Federer has been in the planning stages for weeks, ever since the Swiss agreed to travel north and pay tribute to a rival with whom he grew up in the game.

Nieminen announced on his Facebook page that “The Final Night,” with Federer making his firs visit to the country, will be staged in Helsinki’s Hartwall Arena.

“One of my long time dreams will come true in November when I get to play the last professional match in my career against Roger Federer, my friend and the all-time best tennis player in the world,” wrote Nieminen, who lost all 15 matches he played against Federer dating to 2002.

“Furthermore, this will happen in my home country in front of the home crowd. I hope this event will be as exciting for you as it is for me!”

Federer and Nieminen go back to junior days, with birthdays falling within a month of each other. Tickets for the exho go on sale October 8.

Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.