Let’s turn our head away from the court and look around Melbourne Park. There’s a lot going on in this event, catering for a public from 8 to 80
It’s Saturday and Melbourne wakes up under a low, heavy sky which “weighs like a lid on the groaning spirit”.
Not so for Aussie families: off they go to Melbourne Park, as early as 8AM, mums and dads with their children for Kids Tennis Day, a carnival of outdoor activities, entertainment and – obviously – tennis, on the very same courts where the pros will play edition 105 of the Australian Open. This is the Australian Open, too, and Tournament Director CEO Craig Tiley, definitely found a winning formula for this wonderful event, improving each and every year.
To make the venue – located close to the CBD – even easier to reach by foot, a walking bridge has been built to join Melbourne Park directly to the heart of the city, Federation Square and an entertainment area, with live music, and food and drinks stalls has been erected just outside the gates.
At 12 o’clock, the sun is out and the young crowd then moves to the Rod Laver Arena to watch the big stars, Federer, Djokovic, Raonic and local Gavrilova in a number of tennis related gags along with Kung Fu Panda, the penguins of Madagascar and a number of (to me unknowns) Trolls, while on the outside courts the last round of the qualifying tournament starts: a battle to the death to get a spot on the main draw, which is worth prestige, the possibility of playing against King Roger on the first round (or even on the second, given the draw (LINK) and money, a lot of money, an impressive $50,000 to play in the first round.
And so players like the Kazakhstani Alexander Bublik of 1997, all of a sudden will end up doubling their career money prize. Better does the Russian Anna Blinkova, turned 18 a few months ago, who almost triples it.
While the players are fighting the opponent and the wind, adding to the families back from the Rod Laver Arena, new crowd pops in (FREE entrance today), teenage girl trying to sneak peak the abs of the players while changing shirt during change of ends, and boys in their 20s day-dreaming while looking at the hotties on court. Oh well, some might also be interested in tennis, but I tell you, for a number it’s a social event, a great opportunity for a selfie with a known or not-so-known player, still worth an update on their social network: hey, look who I am hanging out with.
There’s quite a walk from the change room to court 15 and so plenty of opportunity for the autograph and selfie hunters. Not mentioning the players who are already in the main draw and are practicing one last time before the tournament begins. I must mention I most probably save the doubles tournament of Anna Kalinskaya by collecting and handing over the heart shaped dampener flown in the air after her return and landed at my feet: I mean I had the heart of Kalinskaya at my feet.
It’s past 5 o’clock when the last match ends. In the men’s qualifying singles only 3 out of the first 8 seeds access to the main draw: good ol’ Stepanek, young gun Tiafoe and Fratangelo. Great result for young Rubin, Bublik, Rublev and Opekla. As far as women are regarded, the only surprises where the defeats of seed n.2 Tatiana Maria and n.3 Kai-Chen Chang both in round 2. Excellent performances by young Russians Blinkova and Vikhlyantseva.
All done, then. And now, let the show begin!
