In the world of tennis, the Grand Slam tournaments draws the most spectators and are certainly the highlight of the international tennis calendar. They provide the perfect opportunity to place multiple bets throughout the year. Of the four Grand Slams, the first to be held each year is the Australian Open. The tournament is held each year over the last two weeks in January. As the First Grand slam, it showcases the new talent for the year and offers a good insight into how the players are performing in their new training regime.
The Australian Open takes place at Melbourne Park in Melbourne Australia. The tournament is managed by Tennis Australia which was formally known as the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia. The First Australian Open was played in 1905 when it was called the Australasian Championships. In 1927, the name changed to the Australian Championships and in 1969 to the Australian Open, the title which it holds today. Since 1905, the tournament has been staged in various cities around Australia and New Zealand including Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Christchurch and Hastings.
An International Tennis Extravaganza
The tournament was officially designated as a Major Championship in 1927 by the ILTF. At the same time, the committee changed the structure to include seeding of the players. In 1972, the decision was made to move the tournament to its permanent home in Melbourne as it attracted the most spectators. In the early day, the Australian Open attracted very few foreign players due to its geographical location. The first international players to take part were US Davis cup players who took part in 1946.
Today the Australian open attracts players and spectators from all over the globe. It has the second highest attendance next to the US Open. The tournament was also the first to introduce indoor play when wet weather and extreme heat caused play to stop on the courts. The three main show courts, the Rod Laver Arena, the Hisense Arena and the Margret Court Arena are all equipped with retractable roofs.
Australian Open Tennis Bets
The Australian Open offers plenty of betting opportunities for both novice and experienced bettors. At the start of the tournament, bettors can place bets on the outright winner of the tournament in both the men’s and the woman’s division. Bets can also be placed on the winners of the men’s doubles, the woman’s doubles and the mixed pairs doubles. Each win bet is a simple bet where a person chooses a single player or pair to win the tournament outright.
In addition to outright bets, it is possible to place bets on which players will make it to the semi-finals or the finals of the tournament. Tennis betting wagers can also be placed on individual players making it through the first round. In any individual match, bettors can choose from a full range of exotic bets including the first players to win the first set and the player to hit the first ace. Bets can also be placed on how many sets will be played in the match and of course the individual winner of the match.