2007 Australian Open

TennisEventInfo|2007|Australian Open
date=January 15 – January 28
edition=95th
champms=flagicon|SUI Roger Federer
champws=flagicon|USA Serena Williams
champmd=flagicon|USA Bob Bryan / flagicon|USA Mike Bryan
champwd=flagicon|ZIM Cara Black / flagicon|RSA Liezel Huber
champxd=flagicon|CAN Daniel Nestor / flagicon|RUS Elena Likhovtseva

champbs=flagicon|AUS Brydan Klein
champgs=flagicon|RUS Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
champbd=flagicon|GBR Graeme Dyce / flagicon|FIN Harri Heliovaara
champgd=flagicon|RUS Evgeniya Rodina / flagicon|RUS Arina Rodionova

champwcms=flagicon|JPN Shingo Kunieda
champwcws=flagicon|NED Esther Vergeer
champwcmd=flagicon|NED Robin Ammerlaan / flagicon|JPN Shingo Kunieda
champwcwd=flagicon|NED Jiske Griffioen / flagicon|NED Esther Vergeer

The 2007 Australian Open was a Grand Slam tennis tournament held in Melbourne, Australia from 15 January until 28 January, 2007.

The total prize pool was set at exactly $20 million (AUD), with the winners of both the men's and women's singles competition each receiving AUD$1,281,000.http://www.australianopen.com.au/pages/article.aspx?id=15&articleid=ArticleID200610216528&pageId=140&HandlerId=1] Over 500 players competed in 2007. The main draw for singles and doubles was released on Friday, January 12, 2007.

Notable stories

New technology used in line-calling

This was the first time that the tournament used the Hawk-Eye system in an official line-calling capacity, as an auxiliary to the human line judges. Players were given the opportunity to challenge a human line call if they believed it to be incorrect, by having Hawk-Eye confirm or overrule the original call. The system was installed on only one court being used for the tournament, in the Rod Laver Arena.

At the beginning of a set, the players were each given the opportunity to incorrectly challenge a maximum of two line calls during the set. A player who still had some incorrect challenges remaining was allowed to make an unlimited number of correct challenges, but when a player had no incorrect challenges remaining, his or her opportunity to challenge line calls was lost. Players received an extra incorrect challenge during a tiebreak. The players regained both challenges at the beginning of each set and also after every 12 games in the final deciding set. Unused challenges did not carry over when this happened. [http://www.australianopen.com.au/pages/article.aspx?id=15&articleid=ArticleID2006112172449&pageId=140&HandlerId=1]

An additional aspect to the new system was that a video replay screen was installed inside the arena for the first time, to display the results of the challenges. The screen also allowed the spectators (and players themselves) to view instant replays that could previously only be seen by the television audience and those viewing the match on screens outside the stadium. This implementation caused noticeable drama in a match between No. 2 Amélie Mauresmo and Olga Poutchkova in which Mauresmo challenged the in call on Poutchkova's shot and the replay showed the ball out graphically but still called the ball in.

Factional fighting on Day 1

On 15 January, 2007, around one hundred and fifty Australian youths of Serbian, Croatian and Greek origins were ejected from the Open after brawling with one another in Garden Square at Melbourne Park. The brawl reportedly developed after fans taunted each other with nationalist slogans. According to "The Age" newspaper, twenty police tried to quell the disturbance, which allegedly developed after an informal understanding between some Serb and Croat fans — that the two groups would not attend on the same day — was broken. The two opposing groups were ejected out separate exits and escorted away from the venue in opposite directions by police. No arrests were made, and no charges were laid against any of the participants.

The Greek supporters protested that they had not been involved in the taunts exchanged between the Serb and Croat contingents, though "The Age" reported that some Greek supporters had sided with some Serbs and chanted, "Greece, Serbia! Greece, Serbia!" and "We must support our Orthodox brothers". Serb fans claimed that the violence had been provoked by Croat use of the Croatian national flag, which in their eyes carried connotations of Second World War fascism, while Croats claimed that the violence was provoked by Serbs shouting anti-Croat, pro-Serb chants. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/tennis/serbs-croats-clash-at-open/2007/01/15/1168709659893.html?page=fullpage Serbs, Croats clash at Open - Tennis - Sport - smh.com.au ] ]

A Croatian supporter suffered minor injuries in the ethnic brawl after being hit with a Serbian flagpole. People wearing Croatian or Serbian national colours were subsequently refused entry and the next day featured heightened security. Police in Victoria said that this sort of behaviour was never seen in the tournament before. [ [http://www.2gb.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2834&Itemid=228 2GB.com - Swans in strife ] ]

Weather conditions

Heat in excess of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Day 2 caused the Extreme Heat Policy to be implemented. Most daytime matches were delayed, and matches continued on outside courts till 3.30am the following morning. Janko Tipsarević chose to forfeit his match against David Nalbandian because of the heat. On Rod Laver Arena with the roof open, top-seeded Maria Sharapova nearly succumbed to the heat, losing a 5-0 lead in the final set, but managed to defeat Camille Pin 6-3. 4-6, 9-7.

During the night sessions on Day 3, the Australian Open was affected by rain delaying play. Three men's matches were postponed in progress. The matches on Rod Laver Arena and Vodafone Arena were delayed for only 15 minutes while the retractable roofs closed. Marat Safin wisely requested that play be suspended while noticeably out of the match against Dudi Sela with Sela up two sets to one, six games to five, and 30-30. After the delay, Safin returned to win the fourth set and then the final set 6-0 to advance. This was reminiscent of the match in the 2006 Australian Open in which Marcos Baghdatis advanced after appearing rejuvenated against David Nalbandian. The match on Rod Laver featuring women's number two Amelie Mauresmo and Olga Poutchkova was barely underway when the rains came.

Rain on day six caused play to only proceed on the covered courts of Rod Laver Arena and Vodafone Arena, for the duration of the day. Thus, only high seeds Maria Sharapova, Rafael Nadal, Nikolay Davydenko, Kim Clijsters, James Blake, and Martina Hingis were able to play their matches, as well as Australians Alicia Molik and Lleyton Hewitt. Players scheduled for play on the outer courts had to wait until Day 7, and faced the possibility of playing on consecutive days for the winners. Initially only 10 matches were scheduled for play in Laver and Vodafone, but the match between Andy Murray and Juan Ignacio Chela was moved indoors, to leave only five delayed matches in men's and women's singles.

eniors

Men's Singles

flagicon|SUI Roger Federer def. flagicon|CHI Fernando González, 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4

Women's Singles

flagicon|USA Serena Williams [Serena Williams won another Grand Slam title, however was an unseeded champion; she was ranked 81 at the time.] def. flagicon|RUS Maria Sharapova, 6-1, 6-2

Men's Doubles

flagicon|USA Bob Bryan / flagicon|USA Mike Bryan def. flagicon|SWE Jonas Bjorkman / flagicon|BLR Max Mirnyi, 7-5, 7-5

Women's Doubles

flagicon|ZIM Cara Black / flagicon|RSA Liezel Huber def. flagicon|TPE Chan Yung-jan / flagicon|TPE Chia-jung Chuang, 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-1

Mixed Doubles

flagicon|CAN Daniel Nestor / flagicon|RUS Elena Likhovtseva [Nestor and Likhovtseva came back from the 2006 Australian Open mixed doubles final to win the title.] def. flagicon|BLR Max Mirnyi / flagicon|BLR Victoria Azarenka, 6-4, 6-4

Juniors

Boys' Singles

flagicon|AUS Brydan Klein def. flagicon|FRA Jonathan Eysseric, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1

----

Girls' Singles

flagicon|RUS Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. flagicon|USA Madison Brengle, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3)

----

Boys' Doubles

flagicon|GBR Graeme Dyce / flagicon|FIN Harri Heliovaara def. flagicon|AUS Stephen Donald / flagicon|IND Rupesh Roy, 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3

Girls' Doubles

flagicon|RUS Evgeniya Rodina / flagicon|RUS Arina Rodionova def. flagicon|USA Julia Cohen / flagicon|POL Urszula Radwańska, 6-2, 3-6, 1-6

Wheelchair

Men's Wheelchair Singles

flagicon|JPN Shingo Kunieda def. flagicon|FRA Michael Jeremiasz, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4

Women's Wheelchair Singles

flagicon|NED Esther Vergeer def. flagicon|FRA Florence Gravellier, 6-1, 6-0

Men's Wheelchair Doubles

flagicon|NED Robin Ammerlaan / flagicon|JPN Shingo Kunieda def. flagicon|NED Maikel Scheffers/flagicon|NED Ronald Vink, 6-2, 6-0

Women's Wheelchair Doubles

flagicon|NED Jiske Griffioen / flagicon|NED Esther Vergeer def. flagicon|FRA Florence Gravellier/flagicon|NED Korie Homan, 6-0, 3-6, [10-6]

eeds

The seeded players are listed below with the round in which they exited.

Men

#flagicon|SUI Roger Federer (winner)
#flagicon|ESP Rafael Nadal "(quarterfinals)
#flagicon|RUS Nikolay Davydenko "(quarterfinals)
#flagicon|CRO Ivan Ljubičić "(first round)
#flagicon|USA James Blake "(fourth round)
#flagicon|USA Andy Roddick "(semifinals)
#flagicon|ESP Tommy Robredo "(quarterfinals)
#flagicon|ARG David Nalbandian "(fourth round)
#flagicon|CRO Mario Ančić "(fourth round)
#flagicon|CHI Fernando González "(runner-up)
#flagicon|CYP Marcos Baghdatis "(second round)
#flagicon|GER Tommy Haas" (semifinals)
#flagicon|CZE Tomáš Berdych "(fourth round)
#flagicon|SER Novak Đoković "(fourth round)
#flagicon|GBR Andy Murray "(fourth round)
#flagicon|ESP David Ferrer "(fourth round)
#flagicon|FIN Jarkko Nieminen "(second round)
#flagicon|FRA Richard Gasquet "(fourth round)
#flagicon|AUS Lleyton Hewitt "(third round)
#flagicon|CZE Radek Štěpánek "(third round)
#flagicon|RUS Dmitry Tursunov "(third round)
#flagicon|SVK Dominik Hrbatý " (third round)
#flagicon|SWE Robin Söderling "(first round)
#flagicon|ESP Juan Carlos Ferrero "(second round)
#flagicon|RUS Mikhail Youzhny "(third round)
#flagicon|RUS Marat Safin "(third round)
#flagicon|ARG José Acasuso "(first round)
#flagicon|FRA Sébastien Grosjean "(third round)
#flagicon|BEL Xavier Malisse "(first round)
#flagicon|ARG Agustín Calleri "(first round)
#flagicon|SUI Stanislas Wawrinka "(third round)
#flagicon|ESP Nicolás Almagro "(first round)

Women

#flagicon|RUS Maria Sharapova "(runner-up)
#flagicon|FRA Amélie Mauresmo (defending champion) "(fourth round)
#flagicon|RUS Svetlana Kuznetsova "(fourth round)
#flagicon|BEL Kim Clijsters "(semifinals)
#flagicon|RUS Nadia Petrova "(third round)
#flagicon|SUI Martina Hingis "(quarterfinals)
#flagicon|RUS Elena Dementieva "(fourth round)
#flagicon|SUI Patty Schnyder "(fourth round)
#flagicon|RUS Dinara Safina "(third round)
#flagicon|CZE Nicole Vaidišová "(semifinals)
#flagicon|SER Jelena Janković "(fourth round)
#flagicon|RUS Anna Chakvetadze "(quarterfinals)
#flagicon|SER Ana Ivanović "(third round)
#flagicon|ITA Francesca Schiavone "(second round)
#flagicon|SVK Daniela Hantuchová "(fourth round)
#flagicon|ISR Shahar Pe'er "(quarterfinals)
#flagicon|GER Anna-Lena Grönefeld "(second round)
#flagicon|FRA Marion Bartoli "(second round)
#flagicon|CHN Na Li "(fourth round)
#flagicon|FRA Tatiana Golovin "(third round)
#flagicon|SVN Katarina Srebotnik "(third round)
#flagicon|RUS Vera Zvonareva "(fourth round)
#flagicon|JPN Ai Sugiyama "(second round)
#flagicon|AUS Samantha Stosur "(second round)
#flagicon|ESP Anabel Medina Garrigues "(first round)
#flagicon|RUS Maria Kirilenko "(third round)
#flagicon|ITA Mara Santangelo "(first round)
#flagicon|ITA Flavia Pennetta "(first round)
#flagicon|UKR Alyona Bondarenko "(third round)
#flagicon|ITA Tathiana Garbin "(third round)
#flagicon|CHN Zheng Jie "(first round)
#flagicon|GRE Eleni Daniilidou "(first round)

Attendance

[http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/event_guide/attendance_history.pdf]

Media coverage

Coverage of the 2007 Australian Open was as follows:;Television networks
*Australia — Channel Seven (Live)
*Australia — Fox Sports (Live)
*Canada — TSN (Live and re-runs)
*Europe — Eurosport (Live)
*India — Star Sports (Live)
*Latin America — ESPN International (Live and re-runs)
*Macedonia — Macedonian Radio-Television
*Netherlands — Sport 1 (Live)
*Netherlands — Nederland 1 & Nederland 3 (Highlights)
*New Zealand — SKY Sport (Live)
*Singapore — ESPN (Live)
*South Africa — Supersport
*South America — ESPN (Live) & ESPN+ (Live)
*United Kingdom — BBC One (Live - Finals Only)
*United Kingdom — BBCi (Live - Evening Sessions Only)
*United Kingdom — BBC Two (Live - Unscheduled coverage)
*United States — ESPN2 & ESPN (Live);Radio
*United Kingdom — BBC Radio Five Live (Live)

Controversies and scandals

*Three men were arrested for taking up-skirt photos inside Melbourne Park. [http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/sports/view_article.php?article_id=45327 Third up-skirt incident mars Australian Open - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos ] ]
*Police were summoned to investigate the sexual assault of a five-year-old boy in a toilet cubicle at the tournament.
*Maria Sharapova was fined $2000 for allegations of sideline-coaching from her father, Yuri Sharapov in her match against Anna Chakvetadze. [ [http://www.torontodailynews.com/index.php/SportsNews/2007012606maria-sharapova Toronto Daily News - Maria Sharapova Fined for Illegal Coaching - Maria Sharapova was fined at Australian after her father allegeldy used hand signals to coach her during the match ] ]
*A person in Serena Williams box allegedly directed the sun off his watch and into the eyes of Nicole Vaidisova during their semi-final match.

Trivia

Australian Open 2007 staff included: [ [http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/flashupgrade.html?fl=false&br=true&sh=true Australian Open Tennis Championships 2008 - The Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific - Official Site by IBM ] ]
*361 Umpires
*177 Courtesy car drivers
*61 Statisticians
*312 Ballkids

ee also

* 2007 in tennis

References