QUEENSLAND TENNIS BACK ON CENTRE COURT

Premier Anna Bligh today joined tennis legends Pat Rafter and Ashley Cooper as well as thousands of tennis starved fans to officially open the doors to Queensland’s new home of tennis – The Queensland Tennis Centre.

Ahead of an exhibition match - featuring Pat Rafter, Sam Stosur and leading Queensland junior players Isabella Holland and Jason Kubler - Ms Bligh said the new $82 million state of the art facility will put tennis in Queensland back on centre court after a decade on the sidelines since the Milton Tennis Centre closed in 1999.

“This is a significant day for all Queenslanders but especially for the tennis fans and players as the opening of this magnificent tennis centre will revitalise the sport in this state,” Ms Bligh said.

“The Queensland Tennis Centre is already attracting the world’s best players who, over the next 10 days, will do battle in their quest to be crowned the inaugural Brisbane International champion,” she said.

“Tennis fans throughout the world will be turning their attention to Queensland and witnessing why this great state is the best place in Australia to host major sporting tournaments such as this.

“Fittingly the main arena has been named after one of Queensland’s most famous and successful tennis champions – Pat Rafter.

“Pat is a true Queensland champion winning back to back US Open titles in 1997 and 1998 and has been a wonderful role model for our junior players both on and off the court.

“This is the first tennis facility in Australia to feature three Grand Slam surfaces, which will enable our budding young Queensland players to acquire a broader range of skills to suit the different tournament surfaces used throughout the world.

“It will give our players a distinct advantage over those in other states and we might soon see a new crop of Queenslanders dominating on the clay at the French Open, on grass at Wimbledon or on the hard courtsof the US and Australian Open tournaments.

“Interestingly the clay at the Queensland Tennis Centre is made of up crushed recycled fired products sourced throughout Australia and crushed to the same specifications as Roland Garros – home of the French Open.

“The pace of the grass courts can be changed to create similar conditions to Wimbledon and the plexicusion hard-court surfaces are used in many professional tournaments throughout the world.

Minister for Sport Judy Spence said as well as being a world-class tournament ready facility, members of the public will be able to see what it’s like to play on the same Grand Slam surfaces as tennis greats like Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Ana Ivanovic.

“All the courts will be available for hire which will no doubt encourage many to pick up a racquet, maybe for the first time, and get out of the house to have a hit.

“It total 23 International standard courts comprising 17 plexicusion hard-court, four clay and two grass courts will be available for public and tournament use.

“The centre will play a vital role in achieving the Bligh Government’s Q2 target to make Queenslanders Australia’s healthiest people.

“Since January 2007 this Government has provided more than $10.2 million to support tennis related projects throughout the State,” she said.

Tennis Queensland CEO Tom Larner said: “The Queensland Tennis Centre is a fantastic facility and we are looking forward to developing our players and promoting the game from our new riverside home at Tennyson.

“It’s a facility that will really change tennis in Queensland and one that is sure to be popular with tennis fans,” he said.

Media: 3224 4500 (Premier’s office) or 3239 6218 (Minister Spence’s office)