The Australian Open tennis tournament, now held annually during the last two weeks of January, but formerly held in December in many years, is chronologically the first of the world's four major tournaments which together constitute the Grand Slam. Traditionally, accomplishing a slam is to win all four majors in a calendar year; recently tennis fans have adopted the shorthand of referring to each of the four parts of the Slam (Australian, French, Wimbledon and US Opens) as a slam in itself. The Australian Rod Laver was the last man to complete a Grand Slam in men's singles in 1969. On the women's side, Steffi Graf was the last woman to win a Grand Slam in 1988, and she also won the Olympic Gold in Seoul in the same year, making it a Golden Slam. Image File history File linksMetadata Australian_Open. ... In tennis, a singles player or doubles team is said to have achieved the Grand Slam if they succeed in winning all four of the following championship titles in the same year: Australian Open French Open US Open Wimbledon These tournaments are therefore also known as the Grand Slam tournaments. ... The French Open, officially the Tournoi de Roland-Garros (English: Roland Garros Tournament), is a tennis event held over two weeks between mid May and early June in Paris, France, and is the second of the Grand Slam tournaments on the annual tennis calendar. ... Wimbledon logo The Championships, Wimbledon, commonly referred to as simply Wimbledon, is the oldest and arguably most prestigious event in the sport of tennis. ... The United States Open tennis championships, commonly refered to as the U.S. Open (or as simply the Open in the U.S. only), is the fourth and final event of the Grand Slam tennis tournaments. ... The Australian Rod Laver, a candidate for the greatest player of all time This article is about the sport. ... A Grand Slam is a term in tennis used to denote winning all four of the following championship titles in the same year: Australian Open French Open Wimbledon U.S. Open These tournaments are therefore also known as the Grand Slam tournaments, and rank as the most important tennis tournaments... Country: Australia Residence: San Diego, California, USA Height: 5 ft 8 in (172 cm) Weight: 150 lb (68 kg) Plays: Left Turned pro: 1962 Retired: 1974 Highest singles ranking: 1 Singles titles: 39 Career prize money: US$1,564,213 Grand Slam Record Titles: 11 Australian Open W (60, 62... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Steffi Graf Stefanie Maria (Steffi) Graf (born June 14, 1969 in Mannheim, Germany) is a former World No. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Seoul (Sŏul|서울) ) is the capital and largest city of South Korea (Republic of Korea). ... A Grand Slam is a term in tennis used to denote winning all four of the following championship titles in the same year: Australian Open French Open Wimbledon U.S. Open These tournaments are therefore also known as the Grand Slam tournaments, and rank as the most important tennis tournaments...

The tournament was held for the first time in 1905. Like the other three Grand Slam events, it was contested by top-ranked amateur players and known as the Australian championships until the advent of open tennis in 1968. Originally based at the grass courts at Kooyong in the city of Melbourne's inner south-east, the tournament was in danger of fading into irrelevance before being revived in the 1980s with a shift to Melbourne Park, a new (Rebound Ace) hardcourt venue next to the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the southern fringe of the central business district. 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Kooyang Stadium is an tennis venueslocated in Melbourne, Australia. ... Melbourne is the state capital and largest city in the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-largest city in Australia, with a population of approximately 3. ... MacGyver - 1980s hero The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ... Melbourne Park at night. ... Used at the Australian Open, Rebound Ace is a cushioned tennis hardcourt comprised of layers of polyurethane rubber, fiberglass, and other materials on top of an asphalt base. ... Hardcourt describes a form of surface or floor on which a sport is played. ... For other meanings, see MCG (disambiguation). ...

Like all the Grand Slam tournaments, there are men's and women's singles competitions, men's, women's, and mixed doubles, as well as junior and master's competitions.

Two tournaments were held in 1977; the first in January, the second in December. The tournament moved back to January in 1987, so no championship was decided in 1986. For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Margaret Court Arena at the Australian Open. Rod Laver Arena, the centre court, in the background.

The two main courts, Rod Laver Arena, and Vodafone Arena are unusual in that they feature movable roofs which can be shut in case of rain or extreme heat. It is the only Grand Slam tournament that can feature indoor play. Download high resolution version (1080x720, 150 KB)Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Jarkko Niemenen on the Margaret Court arena at Australian Tennis Open. ... Download high resolution version (1080x720, 150 KB)Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Jarkko Niemenen on the Margaret Court arena at Australian Tennis Open. ... Crowds outside Rod Laver Arena Rod Laver Arena is located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and plays host to the Australian Open in tennis. ... Vodafone Arena in use during the 2006 Australian Open. ...

Awards

Names of the winners are inscribed on the perpetual trophy Cups. Some trophies seen in the London Irish clubhouse at Sunbury in 2002. ...

• The Women's Singles winner is presented with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.
• The Men's Singles winner is presented with the Norman Brookes hgjhjvg jghjgjj

Daphne Akhurst (later Daphne Cozens) was an Australian tennis player born in 1903. ... Sir Norman Brookes, KBE (November 14, 1877 – September 28, 1968) was an Australian tennis champion and president of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia. ...

History

The Australian Open is not managed by Tennis Australia, formerly the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia (LTAA), and was first played at the Warehouseman's Cricket Ground in St Kilda Road, Melbourne. 2004 was the 92st staging of the event (99th year due to interruption of the War years). The Tennis Australia is the governing body for the sport of tennis in Australia. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

The tournament was first played in 1905 as The Australasian Championships, became the Australian Championships in 1927 and the Australian Open in 1969. Since 1905, the Championships have been staged at six different venues as follows: Melbourne (46 times), Sydney (17 times), Adelaide (14 times), Brisbane (eight times), Perth (three times), and New Zealand (twice) in 1906 and 1912. The Sydney Opera House is one of the most iconic landmarks in the world, and since its opening it has become an international symbol of Sydney Sydney (pronounced ) is the state capital of New South Wales, located on the east coast of Australia. ... Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia, with a population of over 1. ... Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the state of Queensland, Australia. ... Perth is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Western Australia, and is the fourth largest city in Australia, with a population of approximately 1. ...

In 1972, it was a very bad decided to stage the Tournament in the one city each year, as opposed to visiting various states across the nation, and the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club was selected due to Melbourne attracting the biggest patronage.

Melbourne Park (formerly Flinders Park) was constructed in time for the 1988 Open to meet the demands of the evolving tournament that had outgrown Kooyong's capacity. The move to Melbourne Park was an immediate success, with a 90 per cent increase in attendance in 1988 (266,436) on the previous year at Kooyong (140,000). Melbourne Park at night. ...

Recent Attendances

• 2006 - 550,550 [1]
• 2005 - 543,873 [2]
• 2004 - 521,691 [3]

Tim Henman and Dmitry Tursonov played on the Margaret Court Arena in the first round. ... List of the 2005 Australian Open Champions: // Seniors Mens Singles Marat Safin (RUS) d. ... List of the 2004 Australian Open Champions: // Mens Singles Marat Safin (RUS) b. ...

Records

Youngest Champions

• Men's singles: Ken Rosewall (18 years, two months) in 1953.
• Women's singles: Martina Hingis (16 years, three months) in 1997.
• Men's doubles: Lew Hoad (18 years, two months) in 1953.
• Women's doubles: Mirjana Lucic (15 years, 10 months) in 1998.
• Mixed doubles: Venus Williams (17 years, seven months) in 1998.

Oldest Champions

• Men's singles: Ken Rosewall (37 years, two months) in 1972.
• Women's singles: Thelma Long (35 years, eight months) in 1954.
• Men's doubles: Norman Brookes (46 years, two months) in 1924.
• Women's doubles: Thelma Long (37 years, seven months) in 1956.

Most successive singles

• Men: Roy Emerson (five) 1963-1967.
• Women: Margaret Smith (seven) 1960-1966.

Most successive doubles

• Men: Adrian Quist (10) 1935-1950.
• Women: Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver (seven) 1983-1989.

Triple titles (singles, doubles, mixed doubles)

• Men: John Hawkes 1926; Jean Borotra 1928; Jack Crawford 1932.
• Women: Daphne Akhurst 1925 / 1928 / 1929; Nancye Wynne Bolton 1940/1947/1948; Thelma Long 1952; Margaret Smith 1963.

Junior and Senior Champions (singles champions who previously won a junior singles title)

• Men: Jack Crawford, Vivian McGrath, Adrian Quist, John Bromwich, Dinny Pails, Frank Sedgman, Ken McGregor, Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad, Rod Laver, John Newcombe, Stefan Edberg.
• Women: Joan Hartigan, Emily Westacott, Thelma Long, Beryl Penrose, Mary Carter-Reitano, Kerry Reid, Evonne Cawley, Chris O'Neil.

Left-handed Singles Champions

• Men: Horace Rice (1907), Norman Brookes (1911), John Hawkes (1926), Mervyn Rose (1954), Rod Laver (1960/1962/1969), Jimmy Connors (1974), Guillermo Vilas (Dec. 1978/1979), Roscoe Tanner (1977), Petr Korda (1998).
• Women: Martina Navratilova (1981/1983/1985), Monica Seles (1991/1992/1993/1996).

Biggest Gap between First and Last Singles Titles

• Men: Ken Rosewall (20 years) 1953-1972.
• Women: Nancye Wynne Bolton (15 years) 1937-1951.

Whitewash Result

• Men: (6-0 6-0 6-0) Recorded by six men - James Anderson (first round 1925), Fred Perry (quarter final 1935), John Bromwich (first round 1949), Neale Fraser (first round 1953), Martin Mulligan (first round 1960), Richard Russell (first round 1966).
• Women: (6-0 6-0) Recorded by 13 women, including four in 1998 (Mary Pierce achieving the feat twice). Margaret Court achieved the feat four times and Wendy Turnbull three times.

Unseeded Champions

• Men: Mark Edmondson (1976).
• Women: Chris O'Neil (1978).

Champions Abroad but not at home (Eight former Australian players who won Grand Slam singles titles overseas but failed to capture their native crown):

• Neale Fraser: three-times Australian runner-up (Wimbledon and US champion).
• Fred Stolle: twice Australian runner-up (French and US champion).
• Mal Anderson: twice Australian runner-up (US champion).
• Tony Roche: Australian semi finalist (French champion).
• Lesley Turner Bowrey: twice Australian runner-up (French champion).
• Pat Cash: twice Australian runner-up (Wimbledon champion).
• Pat Rafter: Australian semi finalist (US champion)
• Lleyton Hewitt: Australian runner-up (Wimbledon and US champions).

Men's record holders for most wins since 1925:

• All competitions: Adrian Quist (Australia), 13.
• Singles: Roy Emerson (Australia), 6.
• Consecutive singles titles: Roy Emerson (Australia), 5 (1963-1967).
• Doubles: Adrian Quist (Australia), 10.

Ladies' record holders for most wins since 1925: Adrian Quist (August 4, 1913 - November 17, 1991) was an Australian male tennis player. ... Roy Stanley Emerson (born November 3, 1936) is a former champion Australian tennis player. ... Roy Stanley Emerson (born November 3, 1936) is a former champion Australian tennis player. ... Adrian Quist (August 4, 1913 - November 17, 1991) was an Australian male tennis player. ...

• All competitions: Margaret Smith Court (Australia), 21.
• Singles: Margaret Smith Court (Australia), 11.
• Consecutive singles titles: Margaret Smith Court (Australia), 7 (1960-1966).
• Doubles: Thelma Long (Australia), 12.

• Last Australian men's singles champion: Mark Edmondson (1976)
• Last Australian women's singles champion: Christine O'Neill (1978)

Margaret Smith Court (nee Margaret Jean Smith) (born July 16, 1942) is a retired Australian professional tennis player, who was one of the most successful players in the history of the sport. ... Margaret Smith Court (nee Margaret Jean Smith) (born July 16, 1942) is a retired Australian professional tennis player, who was one of the most successful players in the history of the sport. ... Margaret Smith Court (nee Margaret Jean Smith) (born July 16, 1942) is a retired Australian professional tennis player, who was one of the most successful players in the history of the sport. ... Thelma Dorothy Long was a female tennis player from Australia. ... Mark Edmondson (June 24, 1954) was a professional Australian male tennis player. ... Categories: | ...

Interesting facts

• John Newcombe won three Wimbledon titles and one US Open crown before winning the Australian Open in Melbourne in 1973.
• Rhys Gemmell (1921 men's singles champion) is the only Australian-born champion not to have played Davis Cup for his country.
• The 1998 Australian Open saw two of the five senior titles won by wildcards - Martina Hingis and Mirjana Lucic in the women's doubles and Justin Gimelstob and Venus Williams in the mixed doubles.
• Martina Hingis was Women singles' champion from 1997 to 1999 and runner-up from 2000-2002. When she become the runner-up in singles again in 2002, she said she has also engraved her name on the cup for three times continously; however, it's on the Runner-up Cup instead of the Champion Cup.

Championships won from Match Point Down Country: Switzerland[citation needed] Residence: Trubbach, SUI, Wesley Chapel, Florida, USA Height: 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) Weight: 59 kg (130 lb) Plays: Right Racket: Yonex NanoSpeed RQ 7 Shoes: adidas ClimaCool Feather II Turned pro: 1994 Retired: (2002) Comeback in 2006 Highest singles ranking: 1 (March 31, 1997...

• Margaret Molesworth survived a match point at 5-6 in final set of semifinal against Sylvia Lance.
• Gerald Patterson saved four match points at 12-13 and one at 15-16 in fourth set before beating John Hawkes in final.
• Dinny Pails saved a match point at 5-6 in fifth set against John Bromwich in finals.
• Mary Carter survived a match point in defeating Thelma Long in final
• Rod Laver at 4-5 in fourth set saved a match point to defeat Neale Fraser in final.
• John Newcombe defeated Tony Roche in semifinal after Roche held two match points at 5-2 and one more at 8-7; Newcombe defeated Jimmy Connors in the final.
• Johan Kriek survived match point in semifinal against Paul McNamee at 3-5 in fifth set before going on to defeat Steve Denton in final.
• Stefan Edberg saved two match points in the fourth round against Wally Masur before defeating Mats Wilander in final.
• Monica Seles defeated Mary Joe Fernandez in semifinal after saving a match point at 5-6 30-40 in third set; Seles defeated Jana Novotna in the final.
• Marat Safin defeated Roger Federer in the semifinals in 2005 after saving a match point in a fourth set tiebreak. Safin defeated Lleyton Hewitt in the final.
• TWICE Serena Williams took out the title when down match points in the semis. In 2003 she saved TWO match points on Kim Clijsters serve in the final set after being 5-2, and won 5 consecutive games to go on to the final where she defeated her sister to hold all 4 majors at once. In 2005 Williams came back after a disappointing 04 and fresh off injury sustained in her stomach at the WTA tour championships where she lost to Maria Sharapova in the finals, at the Semi Finals of the Australian Open they met again and Maria looked on her way to victory in the third and had THREE match points on her own serve, at 5/4, serena saved it with winners (one at 140 KM's) and went on to claim the titles against Lindsay Davenport in a 3 set final.

Longest Singles matches

• Number of games: 93 games: In 1970 Dennis Ralston d. John Newcombe in QF 19-17 20-18 4-6 6-3 in a match lasting 281 minutes.
• Duration: 311 minutes: Boris Becker d. Omar Camporese in 3R 7-6 7-6 0-6 4-6 23-21 in 1991.

Longest Doubles Match:

• Duration: 329 minutes: In 1990 Pieter Aldrich / Danie Visser d. Scott Davis / Robert Van't Hof 6-4 4-6 7-6 4-6 23-21, the deciding set lasting 173 minutes.

Most Dominant Male Champion:

• Tony Wilding, in winning the 1909 title in Perth won 73 games and conceded only 11 in recording four straight sets victories.

Champions without loss of a set

• Men: Tony Wilding (1909), Rodney Heath (1910), Pat O'Hara Wood (1923), Donald Budge (1938), John Bromwich (1939), Roy Emerson (1964), Ken Rosewall (1971).
• Women: Margaret Molesworth (1922), Daphne Akhurst (1926, 1928), Coral Buttsworth (1932), Joan Hartigan (1934, 1936), Dorothy Bundy (1938), Emily Westacott (1939), Nancye Bolton (1946, 1947, 1948, 1951), Maureen Connolly (153), Thelma Long (1954), Shirley Fry (1957), Angela Mortimer (1958), Mary Carter-Reitano (1959), Margaret Court (1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1973), Nancy Richey (1967), Billie Jean King (1968), Virginia Wade (1972), Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1975, 1976, Dec. 1977), Chris O'Neil (1978), Steffi Graf (1988, 1989, 1994), Martina Hingis (1997), Lindsay Davenport (2000).

First to retain title

• Men: James Anderson 1925.
• Women: Margaret Molesworth 1923.

First Overseas Champions

• Men: Fred Alexander 1908 (Sydney).
• Women: Dorothy Round 1935 (Melbourne).

Current Grand Slam venues

• Australian Open - Melbourne Park, MELBOURNE.
• French Open - Stade Roland Garros, PARIS.
• All England Championships - Wimbledon, LONDON.
• US Open - Flushing Meadows, NEW YORK.

Current champions:

• Men: Roger Federer
• Women: Amélie Mauresmo

Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who in 2004 became the 23rd World No. ... Amélie Mauresmo (born on 5 July 1979) is a French professional tennis player. ...

Champions

• Australian Open champions (Men's Singles)
• Australian Open champions (Women's Singles)
• List of Australian Open champions
• Australian Open champions (Men's Doubles)
• Australian Open champions (Women's Doubles)
• Australian Open champions (Mixed Doubles)

See also Australian Open Australian Open champions (Womens Singles) Wimbledon champions (Mens Singles) Wimbledon champions (Womens Singles) French Open champions (Mens Singles) French Open champions (Womens Singles) US Open champions (Mens Singles) US Open champions (Womens Singles) Categories: Tennis | Australian sport ... See also Australian Open Australian Open champions (Mens Singles) Wimbledon champions (Mens Singles) Wimbledon champions (Womens Singles) French Open champions (Mens Singles) French Open champions (Womens Singles) US Open champions (Mens Singles) US Open champions (Womens Singles) Categories: Tennis | Australian sport | Womens... Here is a list of winners of the Australian Open championship in tennis. ... See also Australian Open Australian Open champions (Womens Doubles) Categories: Australian Open ... See also Australian Open Australian Open champions (Mens Singles) Australian Open champions (Womens Singles) Australian Open champions (Mens Doubles) Australian Open champions (Mixed Doubles) French Open champions (Womens Doubles) List of Wimbledon Doubles champions US Open champions (Womens Doubles) Category: ... See also Australian Open Australian Open champions (Mens Singles) Australian Open champions (Womens Singles) Australian Open champions (Womens Doubles) Australian Open champions (Mens Doubles) Categories: Tennis | Australian sport ...

External links

• Official Site
• Tennis Australia website