Brisbane Venue is Ready for Tournament Play

Written by: Staff on 24th December 2011

Brisbane Venue is Ready for Tournament Play

Robin Soderling of Sweden returns to Bernard Tomic of Australia during their third round match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 25 June 2011. EPA/NEIL MUNNS |

It looks to be all go on the weather front for the Brisbane International after a huge flood all but wrecked the facility 11 months ago. The great Queensland floods which began only hours after the end of the ATP-WTA event created huge problems – which organisers say are all now solved.

Business is looking good for the January 2 start during the first week of the 2012 season, with the Pat Rafter Arena now fully repaired.

“The venue is ready to welcome some of the world’s best tennis players to Brisbane in January,” said state sport minister Phil Reeves. “Just two days after Robin Soderling defeated Andy Roddick in the men’s final, flood waters inundated the venue.

“At one point, water in Pat Rafter Arena was over the umpire’s chair.”

While they were making repairs, workmen also added improvements, including larger player change rooms, more gym facilities, extra space for media, refurbished corporate dining and a dedicated player entrance with direct access to the change rooms and Centre Court .

Officials said they had learned a valuable commercial lesson from the floods which devastated much of a huge state around the size of Texas, with flood-tolerant materials are being used where possible, commercial grade hydraulic fittings which are water-repellent and an air conditioning system designed to resist rising water.