Confirmed: Serena Williams, Roger Federer and Nick Kyrgios play Exhibition
Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios have agreed to hold an exhibition fight ahead of the Australian Open . As the chairman of Tennis Australia, Craig Tiley, confirmed on Wednesday, the so-called Rally for Relief is supposed to raise donations for combating bushfires in Australia.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Jan 10, 2020, 01:44 pm
The exhibition fight is to take place on January 15, five days before the start of the main field games.
In the meantime, it has been confirmed that the Australian Open should be held as planned. However, new regulations come into play that take the air quality in Melbourne into account.
"This is a new experience. We were pioneers in the heat, and now we are doing so in terms of air quality too," said Tiley, who emphasized that in the event of severe air pollution from the surrounding fires, the facility's roofs will be closed to match continue.
"We will evaluate the air quality in real time and make appropriate decisions in terms of player and spectator safety," said Tiley.
Rafael Nadal, Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki and Stefanos Tsitsipas have also agreed to the exhibition, with more to follow. A two-and-a-half hour program is designed to provide entertainment, but also to provide information about the bushfires.
"The format will be cool. It will be a combination of fun and seriousness. I am proud to have received so many calls and emails," said Tiley, who announced single and double matches.
The entire ticket price is intended to benefit foundations that work to combat bushfires.