Show Court 2 (also known as 1573 Arena for sponsorship reasons) is the equal-fifth largest tennis court at Melbourne Park, in Melbourne, Australia, the venue of the Australian Open.[2]
1573 Arena | |
 Players practicing on Show Court 2 in the lead-up to the 2020 Australian Open. | |
 | |
| Full name | Show Court 2 at Melbourne Park |
|---|---|
| Location | Melbourne Park, MSEP, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Coordinates | 37°49′15″S 144°58′37″E / 37.820712°S 144.976965°E |
| Owner | Government of Victoria |
| Operator | Melbourne and Olympic Park Trust |
| Capacity | 3,000[1] |
| Surface | GreenSet |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1987 |
| Opened | 1988 |
| Tenants | |
| Australian Open | |
Overview
editShow Court 2 was constructed along with the rest of the original Melbourne Park precinct in 1987, debuting at the 1988 Australian Open. The court has always been available on a walk-up basis for spectators at the Australian Open with a ground pass. It is located to the immediate west of Margaret Court Arena. The court has no roof, but includes seating and shaded areas, and is usually heavily populated in the first week of the Australian Open for outside matches.[3] For the 2019 Australian Open and onwards, it was renamed 1573 Arena for commercial purposes, after Chinese distillery Luzhou Laojiao, producer of a baijiu labelled Guojiao 1573, made a five-year sponsorship deal with Tennis Australia, which also featured corner signage on both Margaret Court and Rod Laver Arena.[4] The deal is speculated to be almost as expensive as Kia's major partnership deal with the Australian Open.[5][6] The court has a permanent capacity of 3,000 people.[1]
See also
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References
edit- ^ a b "Courts". Australian Open. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- ^ Colangelo, Anthony (13 January 2019). "Cheap seats: Best matches to watch at the 2019 Australian Open on a budget". The Age. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ "Map of Melbourne Park" (PDF). www.tennisworld.net.au. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ Pavey, James (16 January 2019). "Australian Open: What is 1573? Chinese distillery takes over Melbourne Park". Sporting News. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- ^ Walsh, Courtney (10 October 2018). "Australian Open's record Chinese sponsorship deal". The Australian. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ "Australian Open - The Grand Slam of Asia / Pacific | Australian Open". ausopen.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
External links
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