KOOYONG, October 12, 2017 (Press Release)
The Priceline Pharmacy Kooyong Classic will celebrate its 30th anniversary when the traditional pre-Australian Open event is held at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club from Tuesday 9 – Friday 12 January 2018.
Fittingly, the winner of the inaugural tournament in 1998, the ‘King of Kooyong’ Pat Cash, will be on hand to crown the 2018 champions in his role as event ambassador.
The 2018 event will reveal its men’s and women’s playing fields in the coming weeks and tournament director Peter Johnston has just returned from his role as tournament director of the ATP tour event in St Petersburg, Russia, with news that Kooyong remains a popular final-week destination for players in the lead-in to the Australian Open.
“I’m confident we will have a very strong field in both the men’s and women’s event, which we introduced last year,” Johnston said.
“Players like Kooyong. It’s friendly, replicates the conditions they will have at Melbourne Park and they also like that we can guarantee more than one match.”
That is good news for fans, who enjoy the proximity they get to the players at the famous stadium. That experience will be enhanced even further in 2018 with the grass outside courts at Kooyong transformed into the Kooyong Common fan zone – the perfect place to relax on a summer’s day.
Corporate packages are on sale and spectator tickets will go on sale in early November.
Belgian duo David Goffin and Yanina Wickmeyer hoisted the 2017 tournament trophies. Goffin, who was the roadblock for Australia at the recent Davis Cup semi-finals and recently captured back-to-back ATP Tour titles in Shenzen and Japan, has won the past two editions and discussions are underway about his return for a tilt at a third consecutive title in 2018.
