The Australian Tennis Open is conducted in every January at the Melbourne Tennis Stadium, which contains the Rod Laver Arena and Vodafone Arena now known as Hisense Arena. The Australian open tennis tournament is one of the four major grand slam tennis tournaments, the other three being the French Open in Paris, the Wimbledon in London and the US Open in New York. However, the Australian open tennis is considered one of the toughest due to the hot weather existing in Melbourne in January. Further, it is considered the first Grand Slam Tennis Tournament of the year, since it is conducted in January. The temperatures will often reach 40o and potentially the heat will be a few degrees higher than that. To help reduce the often crippling impact of the heat on players the Australian open tennis tournament organisers installed retractable roof systems over the playing areas that could be shut if the heat is extreme or if rain occurs. An Australian, Rod Laver, is the only person that had won all the four Grand Slam Tennis Tournaments in one year, twice so far in the world.
As would be expected during a tournament at this level, competition during the Australian Tennis Open is extreme and the atmosphere on court and within the stadium is electric. The tournament runs for two weeks. The women’s finals are played on the final Saturday in the second week and the men’s final is played on the Sunday of the second week. Men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles and juniors are played with as much competition as the head line matches. Matches are broadcast around the world by various networks and watched by many millions of viewers all looking for a glimpse of their favourite male and female tennis players competing in the Australian Tennis Open.
Attracting visitors and tennis lovers from all over Australia and from around the world to Melbourne each January, the Australian Tennis Open is the main international tourism event and attraction in Australia during this period. The two weeks of the tennis open is full of entertainment in and around the Melbourne Park complex with roving entertainers, concerts, markets and food all making this one of the great sporting events on the Melbourne international calendar.
Along with tickets for the Australian Open, people staying in Melbourne for the tennis can also buy concert tickets for the premium park shows and enjoy the varied entertainment and attractions that combine with the great tennis to make this a spectacular two weeks of entertainment. Players that competed during 2009 included Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, the Williams sisters, Dina Safina and many leading players on the world tennis tour. For the 2009 Australian Tennis Open most of the main tickets sold out in advance with average prices ranging from $19 and $174.
For the 2010 Australian Tennis Open the main matches will be played at Rod Laver Arena and ticket prices range from $55 up to $290 for the finals. Ticket prices for matches on Hisense arena start at $50. Tickets prices go up as the tournament progresses with quarter finals, semi-finals and the men’s and women’s finals all at premium prices. The Australian Tennis Open 2010 will be planned from January 18 to January 31 at the Melbourne Park in Melbourne Australia. The total seating capacity of Melbourne Park is around 15,000.
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