| World / Australia / Victoria / Melbourne, 2 km from center | Coordinates: 37°49'17"S 144°58'41"E |
Home of the Australian Open Tennis
"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 2000, it was named after legendary 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, and ballets. It hosted World Championship Wrestling in October 2000. With the roof closed, the Rod Laver Arena played host to the gymnastics competition in the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
For tennis matches, Rod Laver Arena is equipped with the Hawk-Eye electronic system which allows players to challenge the umpire's decision on calls made throughout championships." (Wikipedia, Feb 2007)
Official website - www.mopt.com.au/pages/venues/rodlaver.asp
Austadiums website - www.austadiums.com/stadiums/stadiums.php?id=97
Category: stadium sports tennis
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