TENNIS AUSTRALIA
In fact , both TA and the UK ’ s Lawn Tennis Association ( LTA ) have accessed technology that can do that through a company called SportLabs . 400 clubs in Australia trialled it last year , he says , and recorded an average 30 % increase in revenues as a result The right equipment helps access too . “ We have to look at balls and strings and racquets , and formats too . We can now have equipment to even it out so we can enjoy it better .” Rather like a golf handicap , he agrees , but achieved through modified equipment . A modified tennis format branded as Hot Shots is now played in 75 % of Australian schools as part of their PE programme . It can be set up on any surface , and uses three types of ball and a choice of net and racquets geared to the player ’ s level . Around 3,000 Australian children are playing this variant of tennis , Tiley says , of whom many will progress to the competition game as they get older – though Hot Shots is very popular among adults too .
Tiley is impatient to see less convoluted , more collaborative global governance in tennis , and does all he can to promote it . For now though , TA is developing as a benchmark for the rest . The Australian Open is different from the other Grand Slams in that its venue Melbourne Park is owned by the State of Victoria which invests in its development , with TA paying a percentage of revenues . It ’ s a good deal for the state as during the 20-year current agreement period from 2016 to 2036 , it ’ s estimated that the economic impact will amount to more than $ 6bn . That makes the current investment of $ 1bn in redeveloping Melbourne Park very good value for the state - it has provided the site with three stadiums with retractable roofs , 50 tennis courts and a site that can manage 85,000 people a day . “ We had a million people this year ,” says Tiley . “ We are building a new function centre , a new broadcast centre , a new player area that is under construction now and we are putting in another 5,000-seat court
72 October 2017