Rod Laver Arena
| The Tennis Centre | |
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| Former names |
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|---|---|
| Location | Melbourne Park, Melbourne |
| Broke ground | 1985 [1] |
| Opened | 1988 |
| Owner | Victorian Government |
| Operator | Melbourne and Olympic Parks |
| Surface | Plexicushion |
| Construction cost | $94 million AUD |
| Architect | Peddle Thorp Learmonth |
| Capacity |
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| Tenants | |
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Rod Laver Arena is a part of the Melbourne Park complex located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and current venue for the Australian Open in tennis. In January 1992, it was named after tennis player Rod Laver, the only person ever to win the Grand Slam twice. The arena was finished in 1988 with seating capacity for 14,820 and currently attracts over 1.5 million visitors per year.
The Arena features a retractable roof allowing competitors to continue play during rain or extreme heat. It is the centrepiece of Melbourne Park's Tennis Centre, and besides tennis, the arena hosts motorbike super-crosses, music concerts, conferences, World Wrestling Entertainment events since 2005, and ballets.
Rod Laver Arena was the centre-piece of the 12th FINA World Aquatics Championships, which were held from March 17-April 1, 2007. A temporary swimming pool, named the Susie O'Neill Pool after Australian swimming champion Susie O'Neill, was built to allow this to happen.
It hosted World Championship Wrestling in October 2000. The Rod Laver Arena played host to the gymnastics competition in the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Rod Laver Arena is equipped with the Hawk-Eye electronic system which allows tennis players to challenge the umpire's decision on calls made throughout championships.
Records
On November 18, 2007, the record crowd for Rod Laver Arena was recorded when 16,183 attended Justin Timberlake's concert, as a part of his FutureSex/LoveShow tour.
In June 2007, WWE Raw hosted the WWE RAW Survivor Series Tour and announced a record breaking wrestling attendance of 15,570 WWE Australian fans.
Pop rock superstar P!nk performed (a then record-breaking) six shows at the venue during her 2007 I'm Not Dead World Tour. She will be returning in 2009 with her Funhouse Tour, in support of the number one album, selling-out an additional ten nights to break her standing record.
External links
- Official Website
- Rod Laver Arena at Austadiums
- Peddle Thorp Melbourne
| Preceded by Palau Sant Jordi Barcelona |
Davis Cup Final Venue 2001 |
Succeeded by Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy Paris |
| Preceded by Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy Paris |
Davis Cup Final Venue 2003 |
Succeeded by Estadio Olímpico de Sevilla Seville |
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