January in Australia is tennis time, and for too long the people of Brisbane have had to go without. Not anymore, thanks to the
Brisbane International tennis tournament. With the recent building of the
Queensland Tennis Centre, Brisbane-ites finally have their chance to see some of the world's best go head-to-head.
This January, from the 3rd to the 10th, the quiet (and rather aptly named) suburb of Tennyson will be swarming with officials, volunteers, spectators and, most importantly, players.
This is just the tournament's second year and already it is attracting some of the biggest names in tennis. Players such as Andy Roddick, James Blake, Justine Henin and Ana Ivanovic have all confirmed their attendance. As tournament director, Steve Ayles, states on the
website: "both the men's and women's draws have some real star power, depth and flamboyant players creating a great mix for spectators".
If you are a bit short of time (and money) then the best idea is to buy a ground pass for one of the first days of competition. This is when the most games are being played and for less than $10 the ground pass gives you the freedom to pick and choose which games to see. Go to
Ticketek for tickets sales and prices.
The best way to get to the tournament is to catch the train to Yeerongpilly station, which is on the Beenleigh line – see
Translink for details.
So, forget the Kooyong Classic and the Australian Open, the Brisbane International has all the tennis you could ever want, and it's only a train ride away.
