15 million dollars up for grabs at Australian Open tennis (AFP)
15 minutes ago
SYDNEY (AFP) - The singles winners at next year's Australian Open will each take home 1.62 million dollars (1.11 million US), according to organisers, as they announced a 22 million dollar prize pool.
Tennis Australia said on Wednesday that the singles prizes had increased by more than 18 percent, from the 1.37 million dollars won in January by Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova.
Overall prize money had risen from 20.6 million dollars, they said.
World No.1 Rafael Nadal, who has yet to reach the final of the Australian Open, will head to Melbourne for the first Grand Slam of the year along with three-time champion Roger Federer, tournament director Craig Tiley said.
"At Wimbledon the pair played what many described as one of the greatest matches of all time when Nadal finally prevailed on grass. He backed it up with Olympic gold in Beijing in August," Tiley said in a statement.
"Far from slinking off into oblivion, Federer struck back to win the US Open. So now the focus turns to Melbourne and another chapter in a battle that has captured the imagination of the sporting public."
Evenness in the women's draw would also provide exciting tennis, he said.
Tiley said the Grand Slam would also feature a match-up between 1988 finalists Pat Cash and Mats Wilander as part of an expanded "legends" programme.
The 2009 Australian Open will take place at Melbourne Park from 19 January to 1 February.