Australian Open shifts schedule to mark special centenary
The Australian Open will celebrate a significant 100-year anniversary in January and will make a notable change to its schedule to honour it.
The 2022 Australian Open will be the 110th edition of the event since its founding in 1905.
It was 17 years before the women’s competition began, making 2022 the 100-year anniversary of the women’s tournament.
In a recent announcement, tournament director Craig Tiley revealed the following news.
“As we celebrate 100 years of women’s competition at what is now the Australian Open, I’m delighted to further showcase the women’s game by scheduling the semi-finals in the prime-time TV spot of Thursday night.”
The women’s semi-finals will take place on 27th January 2022, with the final to take place on 29th January.
The men’s semi-finals will take place on the 28th, and the final on the 30th.
“We are incredibly fortunate in tennis to not only have great athletes in our sport but tremendous personalities and role models,” Tiley added.
“This includes our very own world number one and Wimbledon champion Ashleigh Barty, recent two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, the incredible Serena and Venus Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters, Li Na.
“The list of inspirational women in tennis is long, and they are all extraordinary.”
Fans will be hoping to see Serena Williams at the first Slam of the new season. It would be her 21st appearance in Melbourne, a tournament she has won seven times.
The last of those seven titles was also her most recent Slam overall, coming while pregnant in 2017, defeating sister Venus in the final.
Barty is taking some well earned rest at the end of a gruelling season as she prepares her push to become the first Australian woman to win her home Slam since Chris O’Neil in 1978.
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