Get the info you need to enjoy a fan-tastic day out at the 2016 Priceline Pharmacy Kooyong Classic held at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club.
Dates: Tuesday 12 January until Friday 15 January 2016. The final is played on Friday 15 January.
Website: www.KooyongClassic.com.au
Kooyong Classic Social Media:
You can also find them on Periscope.
Who is playing
- Gilles Simon
- David Goffin
- Feliciano Lopez
- Nick Kyrgios
- Marco Baghdatis
- Hyeon Chung
- Pablo Carreno Busta
- Nicolas Almagro
- Alexander Zverev
- Paul Henri-Mathieu
- Kyle Edmund
- Omar Jasika
Kei Nishikori will also play an exhibition match, as per details below.
Read more about the Player Lineup.
Nicolas Almagro signing autographs after his Day 1 win
View more photos from Day 1 of the Kooyong Classic.
Schedule of Play
Tuesday 12 January – Play starts at 11am (gates open at 10am)
1. Gilles Simon (FRA) vs Feliciano Lopez (ESP)
Lopez won in 3
followed by
Omar Jasika (AUS) vs Hyeon Chung (KOR)
Chung won in 2
followed by
Nicolas Almagro (ESP) vs Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA)
Almagro won in 2
Wednesday, January 13 Play starts at 11am (gates open at 10am)
Match 1: Marcos Baghdatis vs Pablo Carenno Busta
Match 2: David Goffin vs Nick Kyrgios
Match 3: Alex Zverev vs Kyle Edmund.
Match 4: Kei Nishikori vs Omar Jasika*
Note – World No.8, Kei Nishikori has joined the line up for a special, one-off exhibition match.
Thursday 14 January Play starts at 11am (gates open at 10am)
Match 1: Kyle Edmund (GRB) vs Omar Jasika (AUS)
Match 2: Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) vs Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA)
Match 3: Nicolas Almagro (ESP) vs Hyeon Chung (KOR)
Thursday’s schedule will see six players in action (please note: the number of matches is reduced from four to three to accommodate the withdrawals of Kyrgios and Zverev).
Friday 15 January. Play starts at 12.30pm
1. Gilles Simon (FRA) vs Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP)
followed by
FINAL
2. David Goffin (BEL) vs Feliciano Lopez (ESP)
Ticket Prices
Adult tickets start from $20 and children’s from $5.
Visit the Kooyong Classic tickets page and Buy Kooyong Classic Tickets Online at Ticketek.
Entry is free after 3pm every day, and there will probably still be a match in progress then.
Tuesday 12 January is Kids day with children under 16 getting in free when accompanied by an adult (max 2 children per adult).
Peter Rowland’s Eastern Terrace
Peter Rowland Catering are also offering an exclusive experience in the Eastern Terrace. Read more.
Stunning View from Peter Rowland’s Eastern Terrace
How to Get to the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club (KLTC)
Here’s the Google Maps link to the location
Drive
We drove on Day 1 and could easily park in the side streets or on Glenferrie Road a short distance from the KLTC. Check the signs to make sure (some areas are Permit Parking) but a lot are unrestricted. Rotary was also organising parking over the road for $10. We arrived around 10am and the parking was filling up quickly so I’d advise arriving early if you’re planning to drive and want to park close by.
Tram
Trams run along Toorak Road and Riversdale Road (the two main roads that border the KLTC, and also along Glenferrie Road (the street that it’s located on). This means that you can get there by tram. Get the Tram Tracker app to check schedules, particularly if you get off at the corner of Toorak and Glenferrie or Riversdale and Glenferrie, because it might be quicker to walk than wait for the next connecting tram along Glenferrie.
Train
There is a train stop right near KLTC but unfortunately trains aren’t stopping there this week due to works. Scroll to the bottom of the Kooyong Classic home page for details.
Relax and Enjoy Kooyong Common
New this year, Kooyong Common offers a place to relax and enjoy the atmosphere, along with food trucks, lawn bowls rink, live music and big screen, and Centre Court if there is still play in progress. Even non tennis fans will have a great evening when they take advantage of the after 3pm free entry, entertainment and gourmet Melbourne food that’s available.
Watch a video and take a look around the Priceline Pharmacy Lounge which offers mini-manis, mini-massages, health checks, mini-makeovers and scrumptious healthy smoothies n snacks in return for a donation to the Sisterhood Foundation.
And yes, Trudi from Happy Slam Tennis and I are upside down at the start of the vid! We recorded it via Periscope and must have flipped the camera. After a short while the rest of the vid is the right way up! (Always learning).
Player press conferences are also held in Kooyong Common, so you can watch live and even ask questions if you want to.
Lopez during his Day 1 press conference
Pat Cash and Ada Nicodemou having a hit up on Kooyong Common
Other Useful Information
- The Kooyong Classic is the only Australian Open warm up event played in Melbourne.
- The Australian Open was played at Kooyong until 1988 when it moved to it’s current home at Melbourne Park. From that time on the Kooyong Classic was held at Kooyong.
- The Davis Cup will be played at Kooyong when Australia plays the USA in March 2016.
- Previously hosting an eight man field, 2016 is the first year with twelve players.
- Six former world No.1s have won the event – Lleyton Hewitt, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Thomas Muster.
- Nick Kyrgios is donating $50 for every ace he serves to the Priceline Sisterhood Foundation. Priceline Pharmacy will match the total amount raised by Nick.
Photo sourced from Kooyong Classic Twitter
What to Bring With You
GSG recommends bringing these items:
- Tickets!
- Sunscreen and hat (Melbourne sun can be hot and burn-y when at the tennis all day)
- Snacks and water (adhere to the guidelines below for size and containers) and you can also buy refreshments at Kooyong Common
- Mobile phone battery pack if you’re active on social media and don’t want to be flat by the end of the day.
Did I miss anything? Please let me know in the comments.
What You Can’t Bring In
Want LIVE updates from the Kooyong Classic?
I’ll be there every day of the 2016 tournament, along with my good friends from Happy Slam Tennis.
Connect with me at the links below for regular updates. We’ll be live streaming via Periscope to show you all the good stuff. And if you’re going, tweet and let us know if you want to say ‘hi’.
Until next time
Grand Slam Gal