Everyday tennis enthusiasts are getting an opportunity to win a seven-figure prize when they take on world-class athletes - headed by top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown leading up to January's Australian Open
Tournament officials of the year's first Grand Slam have unveiled the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pair 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a elimination competition at Melbourne Park
The Unique Competition Operates
Competitors are set to play 'the decision-making game' to decide who serves or receives, and whoever wins the point will advance to the subsequent phase
The winner of the event will receive a significant cash prize
For comparison, players who reached the penultimate round of the primary tournaments in the previous year's tournament won substantial prize money
Earlier Related Competitions
The American Grand Slam staged a redesigned, standalone combined gender tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the victors receiving a million-dollar prize
The Australian Open held its debut quick-fire event earlier this year, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it had limited exposure
Andrey Rublev was the sole elite competitor involved, and his run finished when he directed the one and only serve granted into the mesh in his penultimate round
Competition Details
Organizers have not said exactly how the event will function, but it is expected to mirror a comparable structure to the previous version
The elite players will be allowed to make one service and the non-professionals twice - as is the standard practice in conventional tennis
While it is uncertain how the bracket will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the venue will be the main stadium rather than the smaller Kia Arena
The final stages will be held in a nighttime schedule instead of 1pm local time
Competitor Details
Local players - or foreign participants who have registered with the governing body - can enter 'quick-match event' tournaments at their neighborhood facilities
The victors of the local competitions will then go into a selection process, with one amateur player from every geographic division picked to compete in the 'championship round' in a night session on Wednesday, 14 January
There will also be a entry tournament in late year which amateurs, developing professionals, famous personalities and sports personalities can enter
It starts on early January and the two winners will advance to Wednesday's 'championship match' with the additional everyday players and elite competitors
"Regardless of your skill level, the overall victor will walk away with the reward. Entries will start imminently at facilities across the country"
Event organizers said there were "additional stars to be announced soon", while the event portal said "celebrities" would be involved
