Australian Open 2006 – Bring It On!

‘Bring It On!’ was the message at the launch on Tuesday of Australian Open 2006, with the eagerly anticipated tickets for the Grand Slam tournament going on sale today.

Patrons in 2006 will benefit from a multi-million dollar redevelopment of the Melbourne Park site which will take spectator access and comfort to new heights at this international sporting festival.

Among the major improvements will be the replacement and upgrading of all 15,000 seats in Rod Laver Arena in a $3.3 million refurbishment of the main Arena by the venue’s operators, Melbourne & Olympics Parks Trust.

Other major upgrades include the construction of a new City Entrance which patrons will access along the Australian Open Champions Walk which celebrates the rich history of the Grand Slam tournament at Melbourne Park.

Players will be able to utilise the new Indoor Hall on the site which will be used during the tournament for practice and stretching, with the changing rooms near the existing indoor courts also being upgraded.

“The Australian Open Centenary in 2005 raised the bar to new levels of excitement and entertainment at the Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific,” said Tennis Australia President, Geoff Pollard.

“Thanks to investment by Tennis Australia, and a multi-million dollar investment by Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust, 2006 promises to make that experience even better for the hundreds of thousands of patrons who come along each year to enjoy this two week festival of colour, music and great tennis.

“If you enjoyed 2005, you’re going to love Australian Open 2006,” said Pollard. Over 500 of the sport’s top players will converge on Melbourne Park in Janaury to vie for the prestigious title of Grand Slam champion and a record prizepool of AUD$19.3 million – one of the biggest in world sport – with the men’s and women’s winners picking up AUD$1,220,000 each.

Sunday evening on the middle weekend will see the introduction of a new night session giving visitors another reason to attend the tennis on this hugely popular weekend which last year set a world record for a tennis event with over 60,000 visitors through the gates on the Saturday.

Back will be the prime time night final for the men’s singles which proved a hugely successful introduction in 2005, attracting the largest TV audience in Australia since the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Also returning will be the night feature matches on Margaret Court Arena on the first six evenings for Ground Pass ticket holders.

And adding to the entertainment for visitors will be some of Australia’s top bands performing on stage in Garden Square in the break between the day and night sessions which proved an additional drawcard for fans looking for a great day out when introduced during the Centenary last year. Feature concerts will also be held on the final weekend - following the women’s singles final on the Saturday, and prior to the start of men’s night final on the Sunday.

Australian Open Chief Executive Paul McNamee, said, “There is still a genuine buzz around after the success of our Centenary tournament which exceeded all expectations. The upgraded facilities at this world class venue, and new City Entrance, take spectator access and comfort to new levels.

“On court, the excitement is also building, with the women’s game seeing Serena Williams, Justine Henin-Hardenne, and Venus Williams all back to their Grand Slam winning best, and popular Kim Clijsters deservedly breaking through to join this prestigious club.

“Add to the mix 2005 Grand Slam finalists, Maria Sharapova, Lindsay Davenport, and the resurgent Mary Pierce - who are all former Grand Slam champions in their own right - and the dazzling array of Russians, including former French Open champion Anastasia Myskina and 2004 US Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova, and the field really opens up.”

“Top it off with Australia’s Alicia Molik, on the way back from injury, and the women’s title is up for grabs.” said McNamee.

“In the men’s singles, there is no doubt that Roger Federer remains the man to beat, but Marat Safin’s victory here at Melbourne Park, and Rafael Nadal at the French Open, showed that nothing is certain on the big stage,” he added. “Safin, who has reached the final here in three of the past four years, will be out for back-to-back titles at Melbourne Park, whilst Nadal is the sport’s most exciting young star.

“Our own Lleyton Hewitt will be hungry to add his home Grand Slam to his Wimbledon and US Open titles having come tantalisingly close in 2005, and four-time champion Andre Agassi who thrives on the conditions here, showed at 35 he’s still a potent force when he reached the final of this year’s US Open.

“Combine that with the threat posed by former US Open champion Andy Roddick, and a trio of top ranked Argentinians led by David Nalbandian and Guillermo Coria, who all perform well on Rebound Ace, and you have a field that will be packed with exciting match ups,” said McNamee.

On court will see the tournament’s 255 Aviva Ballkids joined in 2006 by a group of 24 of the top ballkids selected from the lead-up tournaments held in Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Sydney, Canberra and Hobart on the ‘Road to the Australian Open’. Also joining them will be a group of 36 international Aviva Ballkids selected following trials in the Philippines, Singapore, Korea and India as part of an ongoing series of initiatives by the tournament, and the State Government of Victoria, to promote the Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific and Victoria in the neighbouring region.

Being (posthumously) honoured on Australia Day with membership of the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame will be Australia’s first female great of the sport - and five time Australian Champion - Daphne Akhurst, after whom the current women’s singles trophy is named.

Tournament attractions also include the popular Legends events, which sees the great names of the past back in action, and the Junior event where the stars of tomorrow get an early taste of the Grand Slam experience. The Wheelchair Classic 8s will be back for a fifth successive year with 16 of the world’s top players, battling it out for the honours in the second week.

And completing the festival experience is an array of off-court entertainment activities designed to appeal to young and old in ‘the Carnival’ activity zone, with additional colour from Australia’s top roving entertainers.

Helping fans to take advantage of all this action and entertainment will be a range of new options for Series Packages which offer savings on five action-packed Rod Laver Day or Night Sessions from 16-20 or 21-25 January. Those looking to attend the semi finals and finals can purchase the Championships Package covering the final five sessions from Thursday 26 through to Sunday 29 January on Rod Laver Arena.

These exclusive Series Packages go on sale for two days only (Thursday 29 and Friday 30 September). Rod Laver Arena Single Session, and a limited number of Vodafone Arena Premium Reserved Seats which, at $50 per day, offer premium seating in Vodafone Arena for the matches scheduled from 16-23 January, go on sale on Saturday 1 October until sold out.

The hugely popular - and great value - Australian Open Ground Passes, which offer access to matches on the outside courts, the concerts in Garden Square and to the unreserved seating in Vodafone Arena, go on sale from Thursday 1 December at just $27 on the first eight days, and $17 during the remainder of the tournament (except men’s final day when the ticket price of $20 includes the special final day concert in Garden Square).

The After Five Ground Pass, which gives access to Melbourne Park from 5pm, also goes on sale from 1 December for only $20 and offers access to the Night Feature Match on Margaret Court Arena and the concerts in Garden Square. Families, too, can enjoy the action, with the great value Family Ground Pass which, for only $75, offers access for two adults and two children (or one adult and three children).

Bookings can be made by phoning 1300 888 104 (or +61 2 8736 2711 for international callers); in person at Ticketek agencies across Australia or New Zealand; or via the internet at www.australianopen.com. Fans buying any Ground Pass will also be able to use the EZY-Ticket option which enables them to print their tickets from their own computer.

A separate disability bookings ticket brochure and access map is available by phoning (+61 3) 9286 1208 or go to www.australianopen.com

Australian Open 2006 takes place at Melbourne Park from 16-29 January 2006.

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