The Australian Open broke its attendance record, with crowd numbers "smashed" for the second year in a row at Melbourne Park, according to Aaron Langmaid of the HERALD SUN. A crowd of 743,667 people "flooded through the gates" in the two weeks of the tournament, 14,904 more than last year. The event "pumped" A$280M ($227M) into the economy, with 80,000 visitors from overseas and 500,000 hotel bookings. The continued expansion of the site -- and the hot weather -- was "credited for the huge numbers" as Tournament Dir Craig Tiley said that the event had become "more valuable in financial scale and global reach than any other single sporting event in the nation’s history." He said, "It surpasses anything else we do in Australia on an annual basis." Tiley said that it was "no longer a tennis tournament, but a global sporting entertainment event." He added that Tennis Australia was "exploring its options for when its lucrative broadcasting agreement" expires next year (HERALD SUN, 1/28).
HEAT CHECK: In Sydney, Michael Gleeson reported Australian Open runner-up Marin Čilić said that the decision to close the roof for the final "influenced the outcome of the match," which he lost in five sets to Roger Federer on Sunday. Federer said that he did not know there was a heat rule in place to enable the roof to be closed for night matches at the Australian Open. Čilić said that the decision to close the roof "made it much cooler" than he expected and made it "very very difficult" to adjust after practicing outdoors all tournament. Čilić "fell short" of saying that the decision favored Federer or cost him victory in the five-set match. He added that he was "not asked if he wanted the roof closed but was consulted ahead of the decision." Both players were "given the opportunity to practice indoors." Federer chose to accept the offer, Čilić did not. Federer said that he was "unaware the roof could be closed for heat in a night match" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 1/29). NEWS.com.au's James Matthey reported Aussie tennis legend Pat Cash "opposed the decision," saying that it was biased toward Federer because it "deprived" Čilić of the conditions he needed to cause an upset. Former player Jim Courier said that the muggy conditions "would slow the ball down," likely favoring Federer. Not everyone "was opposed to closing the roof." Despite being criticized earlier in the tournament for not closing the roof or suspending matches because of the heat, tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg said that organizers had "done the right thing this time around by using common sense rather than going explicitly by the rule book" (NEWS.com.au, 1/28).
TOO PRICEY?: The AAP's Ben McKay reported Tiley rejected claims of price hikes making the "so-called Happy Slam unaffordable for many fans." An analysis of week-one ticket prices revealed a family of four would be "hard-pressed" to spend a day at the Open for less than A$420 ($340). That is before including a seat on one of the three ticketed courts and "any hope of seeing the world's best players." But Tiley has "vehemently denied" the country's biggest sporting and entertainment event is "out of reach for many fans." Tiley: "I take exception to that. Affordable? Absolutely it is." Grumbles from the crowd at food and drink prices have "never been louder" (AAP, 1/28).
