Officials Hope To Keep Aussie Open In Melbourne With Renovations

Victoria Government Hoping Melbourne Park Upgrades Can Help Secure Australian Opens

Victoria Premier John Brumby today announced a US$3.3M investment toward renovations at Melbourne Park which the national government "hopes will keep the Australian Open in Melbourne for the next 20 years," according to Selma Milovanovic of the Melbourne AGE. The renovations will include an upgraded Rod Laver Arena, a roof for Margaret Court Arena and a "covered, piazza-style town square for tennis fans." Other plans include a new HQs for Tennis Australia and upgraded facilities for players and media. The funding "will be used to develop a capital works program for Melbourne Park, as well as detailed design and costings for the project's first stage, which is due to be completed in 2016," the year in which Melbourne's current deal to host the Australian Open is set to expire. Milovanovic notes the move comes as Sydney "had launched a bid to snatch the Open" (THEAGE.com.au, 1/26). In Melbourne, Leo Schlink writes the announcement is the "most significant decision in the 104-year history of the championships." Once the renovations are complete, Melbourne Park will "again stand alongside its grand slam cousins as a world-class arena" (Melbourne HERALD SUN, 1/27).

SECURITY INCREASED: Australian Open Tournament Dir Craig Tiley and Tennis Australia CEO Steve Wood said that security at the event "had been beefed up" following a brawl Friday that saw 30 fans ejected, and they "warned that anyone who caused trouble would be caught and thrown out." Wood: "We've increased resources, increased monitoring and made a number of other measures that I won't go into." Meanwhile, Tiley and Wood also indicated that security guards on Friday had "acted correctly by protecting the players and officials" instead of chasing a streaker during a doubles match featuring Sony Ericsson WTA Tour players Venus and Serena Williams (Emma Quayle, Melbourne AGE, 1/25). 

Serbian Fans Showing Their Nationalistic Pride During Match At Australian Open

TOO LITTLE TOO LATE? ESPN.com's J.A. Adande said, "You have to wonder why they’re not better prepared when you do have two different ethnicities with a history of clashing with each other (in Bosnia and Serbia) and the streaker was running around for 40 seconds” ("Around The Horn, ESPN, 1/23). ESPN’s Michael Wilbon said, “We’ve seen this kind of nationalistic violence at soccer games and it is dangerous. ... You don’t want that creeping anywhere near tennis where there just seems to be a lack of interest in security.” ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser: “People who run Grand Slam events or any sort of event have to be more diligent and have to be quicker to stop this kind of thing.” Wilbon added officials' "awareness should be heightened. Just because the sport is gentle doesn’t mean you don’t have hooligans” (“PTI,” ESPN, 1/23).