2013 Australian Open Preview:
The 2013 tennis season is kicking off in Melbourne on January 14, with the world's top men's and women's players vying for a head start to the year. World #1 Novak Djokovic will be defending his title against a fury of opponents minus last year's finalist Rafael Nadal who pulled out due to injury. Andy Murray has become one of the top 4 players in the world and the Brit will be looking to add to his growing trophy case.
On the women's side, Victoria Azarenka is defending the title she won in 2012 by absolutely dominating Maria Sharapova in the final 6-3, 6-0. She took over the World #1 ranking in 2012 and hasn't given it up going into this season. Azarenka won a bronze medal at the 2012 olympics and the other ladies will be looking to knock her off her perch. The Australian Open clearly set the tempo for last years tennis season and Serena Williams and Agneiszka Radwanska will both be looking to pull off an upset to reach the finals.
There's great tennis all over the complex, including catching the Bryan brothers play doubles. Whether it's inside Rod Laver or one of the outlying courts there's great tennis to be scene down under.
2012 Australian Open Results:
Novak Djokovic won his third Australian Open with a five set win over Rafael Nadal on the men's side while Victoria Azarenka dominated Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0 to win her first grand slam title.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS EXPERIENCE:
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Venue: Melbourne Park
Australian Open Notable Players: Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis
The Australian Open is a major tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The tournament is the first of the four Grand Slam tournaments. The other Grand Slams are the French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open Tennis. Until 1968, the Australian Open was called the Australian Championships, and was an amateur event until the era of “open” tournaments began that year. The tournament was first played in 1905 as the Australian Championships, then as the Australian Championships in 1927, becoming the Australian Open in 1968. The tournament has moved a few times to different cities in Australia and has even been played in New Zealand 3 times.
The Australian Open is a unique tennis experience for fans to watch their tennis heroes brave the Australian summer and see how players play on the Rebound Ace court surface. Each of the majors highlights different skill sets of the players due to the fact that none share the same surface. There are plans in the works to replace the Rebound Ace surface at the Australian Open with a new surface less likely to cause injury or lead to unpredictable ball behavior from the intense heat often seen in Australia in January.
The Australian Open is held at Melbourne Park sports arena in Melbourne 1988. The most well known venue at the park is the center court or Rod Laver Arena, which holds 15,000 spectators and has a unique retractable roof. Hisense Arena is slightly smaller but also features a retractable roof. A visit to the land down under and some of the finest tennis played anywhere in the world make this an experience every tennis fan should have. Buy Australian Open tickets today and don't miss the action at the Australian Open!
See Also:
Grand Slam Tennis Tournament tickets
Australian Open Preview History