Australian Open Quick Facts
Posted: Sunday January 17, 1999 10:02 PM
Tournament dates : January 18-31, 1999
23 sessions of play, 14 days and nine nights
Location : Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Court surface : Rebound Ace
Prize Money : A$11.75 million (US$7.4 million)
• The official name of the tournament is the Australian Open Tennis Championships. The Championships are run by Tennis Australia, formerly the LTAA, and were first played in 1905 at the Warehouseman's Cricket Ground in St Kilda Road, Melbourne.
• The tournament was originally known as The Australasian Championships. It became Australian Championships in 1927 and the Australian Open in 1969.
• Rodney Heath won the first Australian Open in 1905; the first women's singles champion was Margaret Molesworth in 1922
• There have been only two unseeded champions at the Australian Open -- Australia's Mark Edmondson (1976) and Chris O'Neil (1978).
Melbourne Park Facts
Centre Court - retractable roof and a seating capacity of 15,021
Show Court 1 - seating capacity of 6,000
Show Court 2 - seating capacity of 3,000
Show Court 3 - seating capacity of 2,000
Show Court 4 - seating capacity of 1,100
Outside match and practice courts - 19
Indoor practice courts - 4
Since the event has been staged at Melbourne Park (1988), 3,659,783 patrons have attended the Australian Open. Close to 400,000 fans are expected this year.
About Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria, Australia and has a population of 3.2 million. It is Australia's second largest city.
| Related information |
| Multimedia |
 Click here for the latest audio and video
|
| Search our site |
Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day |
|
|
Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call 1-888-53-CNNSI. |
|
