Breathtaking tennis, compelling storylines, fairytale comebacks and a festival of fun and frivolity, this year’s tournament was a winner on and off the court. Here are 10 of the best moments from Australian Open 2010.
Hit for Haiti: Led by Roger Federer, philanthropists from the tennis set hit Rod Laver Arena to raise money for victims of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on 12 January 2010. Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, Sam Stosur, Lleyton Hewitt and Bernard Tomic showcased the lighter sides of their personalities, taking part in a charity exhibition match that raised more than $125,000 on the day. Several players also donated signed racquets to the tournament’s Bid for Haiti eBay auction that raised a total $44,007.19; Federer’s racquet selling for $28,124.65. With major contributions from the ATP World Tour, Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, ITF and the Grand Slam Committee, the Australian Open Haiti fundraising activity raised nearly $700,000.
Henin v Dementieva: The projected second-round contest between form player Elena Dementieva and Belgian comeback queen Justine Henin had fans salivating over this final-worthy contest from the moment the draw was released. And, when projection became reality, the match lived up to its promise. Fears that Henin’s reborn star would flame out before it fully ignited were allayed as the former world No.1 resolutely attacked the net against baseline stalwart Dementieva, allez-ing her way to a 7-5 7-6(6) victory over the tournament No.5 seed and newly-crowned Medibank International Sydney champion.
Record attendance: The proof of Australian Open 2010’s success was in the tournament’s true blue attendance figures. The event attracted a record crowd of 653,860 people through the gates, smashing the previous record set in 2008 by 50,000 fans. The tournament twice posted the world’s highest-ever Grand Slam combined day/night attendance (on the first Wednesday and middle Saturday) with Saturday, 23 January attended by 77,043 fans, 11,000 more than the previous record.
Perfect tennis weather: When, on December 2 last year, the Australian Open’s in-house meteorologist Bob Leighton stuck his neck out and predicted perfect tennis weather for Australian Open 2010, he faced his share of skepticism. “My long-range prediction is that we’ll see an average Melbourne summer – perfect for the Australian Open,” said Bob at the time. “More than half the days should be sunny and in the mid-twenties. There will be several days in the mid to high thirties, and the occasional summer thunderstorm is possible.” Hats off to Bob, he delivered. Sure day one was a little rain delayed, but Melbourne waited until finals’ weekend to serve up its warmest weather, making for balmy nights, spectacular sunsets and electrifying matches.
The Prince and the King: The future King of England secured an audience with royalty of the tennis kind at Melbourne Park on the first Thursday of the tournament. HRH Prince William visited world No.1 Serena Williams (who said she had wanted to meet the heir to the throne since she was a young girl) before watching Roger Federer's second round match against Victor Hanescu. At the end of the match Federer addressed the Prince from courtside with a cheery: "welcome to tennis". Later, the Prince and the King of the courts came face to face backstage, posing for photographs that were soon winging their way to Buckingham Palace on a CD at HRH’s request.
Grand Slam Oval: Frequently packed to the limits of its 10,000 square-metre capacity, Grand Slam Oval imbued Australian Open 2010 with the kind of atmosphere a summer music festival would happily boast about. One half packed with tennis-themed sideshows, the other half with beanbags, deckchairs and giant umbrellas, Grand Slam Oval hosted daily marquee music acts and was the perfect place to kick back, enjoy a beer and watch the tennis on the giant screen. The fans voted with their feet, flocking to the tournament’s newest hot spot, even queuing to get in on the middle Saturday.
Peers and Robson: With women’s tennis in both Australia and Great Britain at its healthiest for years, there were also reassuring signs that the future of the game is also in safe hands. Sixteen-year-olds, Sally Peers from Melbourne and Laura Robson from Surrey, teamed up to reach the quarterfinals of the women’s doubles. In a boon for Fanatics/Barmy Army relations, the duo dispatched more experienced pairings Jill Craybas and Abigail Spears, No.12 seeds Chia-Jung Chuang and Kveta Peschke and Anastasia Rodionova and Vera Dushevina, before falling to No.15 seeds Maria Kirilenko and Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 6-1.
Changing Ends: Getting in touch with its cultural side the Australian Open attracted more than 30 entries to its inaugural Changing Ends Tennis Film Festival. Budding Australian filmmakers submitted their 90-second (the length of a change of ends in tennis) tennis-themed films, with the best entries played on the giant screens on Rod Laver Arena, Garden Square and Grand Slam Oval at Melbourne Park during the tournament. ‘When I Grow Up’, a lighthearted look at the life of a line judge, was awarded the Festival’s $5000 first prize.
Women’s final: Playing just the eleventh match of her “second career”, Justine Henin almost pulled off a fairytale ending at Melbourne Park, pushing world No.1 Serena Williams to three compelling sets in the women’s final. Continuing the remarkable return to professional tennis that saw her reach the final of the Brisbane International at the start of January, Henin eliminated three seeded players en route to the final. There (after a slow-ish start) she proceeded to play like she’d never left the game, nabbing the second set from Williams and nearly carrying that momentum all the way to the title. Just five points separated the two women when they shook hands at the net, Williams lifting the Daphne Akhurst Memorial for the fifth time in her career.
Men’s final: Short, sweet (for Roger Federer fans at least) but a classic nevertheless, the men’s final featured two-hours and 41-minutes of fabulous winners on the court, and some classic one-liners in the post-match presentation speeches. Federer struck 46 winners and broke Murray’s serve four times in claiming his 16th Grand Slam title. After the match Andy Murray summed up what most of the men on the ATP Tour must be thinking so far this season when he said: “I can cry like Roger, just a shame I can’t play like him”. Meanwhile, Federer could afford to be generous having lifted the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup for a fourth time telling Murray, “You’re too good a player not to win a grand Slam so don’t worry about it”. Easy for him to say!
