The first of the four annual Grand Slams, Australian Open continues to enthrall millions of tennis fans around the globe. The annual professional tennis tournament is held in January every year. This season, the tournament will once again attract thousands at the Melbourne Park, Australia. With the second highest attendance of the four Grand Slams, Australian Open features top players from around the world who will witness exciting matches over a period of two weeks. Melbourne Park’s Rod Laver Arena will act as the primary venue for the championship.
Beginnings
The first tournament was held in 1905 and was initially known as the Australasian Championships. Managed by Tennis Australia, the first event was held at the Warehouseman’s Cricket Ground. In 1924, the International Lawn Tennis Federation alleviated the tournament’s status to major championship, which was followed by its rebranding as Australian Championships in 1927. Sixty four years later, the tournament was named the Australian Open in 1969. After being staged in Hastings, Christchurch, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney, the tournament was permanently moved to the city of Melbourne in 1972.
Melbourne Park
Since 1988, the Australian Open has been held at the Melbourne Park. A multi-purpose venue, the Park hosts various sports such as motorsports, swimming, cycling, ice skating and netball. The venue has also been used to stage large concerts over the years. The Melbourne Park was primarily built to host the Australian Open in 1988 and was initially known as the National Tennis Centre.
Now it features several tennis stadiums including Margaret Court Arena, Hisense Arena and the main court, Rod Laver Arena. The Rod Laver Arena is the largest tennis court that comes with a retractable roof. It can seat almost fifteen thousand people. After the Rod Laver Arena, Hisense Arena is the second largest court with a seating capacity of over ten thousand.
Current Champions
The 2013 Australian Open Men’s Singles was won by Novak Djokovic after he defeated Andy Murray in the finals. It was Novak’s sixth Grand Slam Title and his fourth Australian Open victory. The Women’s Singles was won by Victoria Azarenka after she defeated Li Na. This was Victoria’s second successive Australian Open win.
Mike Bryan and Bob Bryan won the 2013 Australian Open Men’s Double championship, resulting in their sixth Australian Open and thirteenth Grand Slam Title. Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci bagged their first Australian Open and third Major Women’s Double Titles after winning the Women’s Doubles championship. Mathew Ebden and Jarmila Gajdosova both bagged their first Australian Open after winning the Mixed Doubles Title.
The Live Event
Like every year, the Australian Open will commence on the last fortnight of January. The tournament will feature top tennis players and current champions such as Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka who will defend their championship title. The Australian Open tickets will be all the rage amongst the fans. The tournament is expected to attract thousands of fans and tourists from around the world. The audiences can be a part of this exciting sporting event in order to enjoy riveting live matches with both friends and family.