According to local hero Pat Cash, the Australian Open’s success with players and fans is primarily due to the move to Melbourne Park almost 30 years ago.
Pat Cash may be the player who would trade a win in Wimbledon for a win in another tournament. Of course: The final success against Ivan Lendl in 1987 brought the man with the striking headband worldwide attention. A few months later, however, Cash faced the Australian Open Mats Wilander in the finals and had to admit defeat to Sweden in five sets in one of the best matches of the 1980s.
Back in Flinders Park back then. The move from the grass courts in Kooyong to the hard court as well as the change of date at the beginning of the year have lifted the first Grand Slam tournament to new dimensions. Not least because Australia has also become a pioneer in terms of infrastructure in recent years – after all, Melbourne was the first of the four largest tournaments to install a roof over the Center Court. Meanwhile there are three places weatherproof, in New York City only the second will be inaugurated in the summer of 2018, one year later also in Wimbledon. Roland Garros is planning. And only gets ahead with baby steps.
“For a while, the Australian Open was considered like the poor cousin, the ugly duckling,”Cash said in an interview:”From my point of view, the new stadium, Flinders Park and the whole area, which is so central, have ensured that our conditions are exemplary. At least as good, if not better than the other Grand Slams.”
Cash has found a new job since this summer, he is in charge of Coco Vandeweghe, who made it to the top ten for the first time in 2017. And who won the Fed Cup title with the US-American team in Minsk a few weeks ago. At the Australian Open Vandeweghe made it into the final round of the season.
“The new stadium, the new facility, like a new born Australian Open. Suddenly all the players came here and wanted to win. I came to Melbourne Park as Wimbledon winner. And I really wanted to win the Australian Open, that was one of my dreams.”