Tennis

11:00am – Sunday, January 23 on Seven

11:00AM – DAY SESSION

The world’s top tennis players converge on Melbourne Park to vie for the prestigious title and a record prize pool of $25 million, one of the biggest in world sport.

Players include Roger Federer, Sam Stosur, Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters, Novak Djokovic, Caroline Wozniacki, Juan Martin Del Potro and Andy Murray.

Hosted by Matt White and Hamish McLachlan with commentary from Jim Courier, Sam Smith, Todd Woodbridge, Roger Rasheed, Nicole Bradtke, Sandy Roberts, John Fitzgerald, Rennae Stubbs, Allan Stone, Chris Dittmar and Kerryn Pratt.

7:00PM – NIGHT SESSION

Coverage of the Grand Slam of Asia-Pacific continues where viewers can expect the biggest names in tennis, the hottest action in years and a comprehensive coverage of the event.

Hosted by Johanna Griggs.

FOX SPORTS LIVE multi-court coverage of the opening week of the 2011 Australian Open Tennis Championships will screen on FOX SPORTS 2HD and FOX SPORTS 2 from 10.30am AEDST each day.

Day 1, Mon 17 Jan, 10.30am AEDST

Day 2, Tue 18 Jan, 10.30am AEDST

Day 3, Wed 19 Jan, 10.30am AEDST

Day 4, Thu 20 Jan, 10.30am AEDST

Day 5, Fri 21 Jan, 10.30am AEDST

Day 6, Sat 22 Jan, 10.30am AEDST

Day 7, Sun 23 Jan, 10.30am AEDST

Highlights of each day’s play will also screen each evening on FOX SPORTS.

11:00am – Sunday, January 23 on Seven

11:00AM – DAY SESSION

The world’s top tennis players converge on Melbourne Park to vie for the prestigious title and a record prize pool of $25 million, one of the biggest in world sport.

Players include Roger Federer, Sam Stosur, Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters, Novak Djokovic, Caroline Wozniacki, Juan Martin Del Potro and Andy Murray.

Hosted by Matt White and Hamish McLachlan with commentary from Jim Courier, Sam Smith, Todd Woodbridge, Roger Rasheed, Nicole Bradtke, Sandy Roberts, John Fitzgerald, Rennae Stubbs, Allan Stone, Chris Dittmar and Kerryn Pratt.

7:00PM – NIGHT SESSION

Coverage of the Grand Slam of Asia-Pacific continues where viewers can expect the biggest names in tennis, the hottest action in years and a comprehensive coverage of the event.

Hosted by Johanna Griggs.

Tennis champion Lleyton Hewitt will join the Channel 7 commentary team at the Australian Open.

“As always I can’t wait for the Australian Open to start,” said Lleyton. “And this year I also look forward to giving fans and viewers my thoughts into some of the players and matches when I join the Channel 7 commentary team.”

Channel 7 CEO David Leckie, celebrating the signing coup, said:

“Lleyton is an Australian tennis champion and will add some unique tennis insights for our viewers into the game’s strategies and its players.”

Lleyton will join Johanna Griggs, Bruce McAvaney, Jim Courier, Matt White, Henri Leconte, Sandy Roberts, Hamish McLachlan, Sam Smith, Todd Woodbridge, Roger Rasheed, Nicole Bradtke, Rennae Stubbs, John Fitzgerald, Allan Stone, Peter Donegan and Kerryn Pratt as part of the Channel 7 commentary team.

Lleyton will also feature in the Rally for Relief to be broadcast on Channel 7 Sunday 4pm nationally to raise money for the victims of Australia’s flood disaster. The superstars of world tennis including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters, Sam Stosur, Novak Djokovic and Pat Rafter will gather for a special exhibition fans will never see again.

The Rally for Relief featuring the superstars of world tennis including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters, Sam Stosur, Lleyton Hewitt, Novak Djokovic and Pat Rafter will be broadcast on Channel 7 at 4pm nationally.

Throughout weeks of devastating floods, tragic deaths, heroic rescue stories and the best of humanity, this exhibition will bring together the tennis community in an enormous effort to help the victims of the floods.

Channel 7 CEO David Leckie said:

“This tragedy has touched all Australians. It comes as no surprise the tennis community has come together in this way. We are delighted to join them in this effort.” Channel 7 will match the donations raised by the ticket price entry to the flood relief fund.

Johanna Griggs will host the coverage that will also feature Jim Courier and Todd Woodbridge.

The star-studded line-up of players will be miked up for an entertaining exhibition for fans and viewers.

Tickets to Rally for Relief are $20 for entry to Rod Laver Arena and are available through Ticketek at www.ticketek.com.au

Tickets will also be available from the Melbourne Park and Fed Square Box Offices.

With worldwide tennis attention turning to Melbourne, FOX SPORTS will ensure viewers retain the best seat in the house with LIVE and extensive coverage of the popular Grand Slam.

The focus of FOX SPORTS LIVE coverage from Day 1 to Day 8 will be the feature matches on Hisense Arena. In addition to the feature matches, viewers will be able to choose between THREE additional matches via FOX SPORTS Viewer’s Choice which will be available from Day 1 to Day 6. The televised courts will include Margaret Court Arena, Show Court 2 and Show Court 3, while there will be a fourth option for viewers offering interviews and vision from press conferences. All LIVE action on Day 1 through to Day 8 will screen on FOX SPORTS 2HD & FOX SPORTS 2.

FOX SPORTS will provide viewers with more than 200 hours of tennis from the Australian Open, including 88 hours of LIVE action, along with replayed coverage of all Rod Laver Arena matches throughout the 14 days of competition.

Bringing viewers all the action from Melbourne Park will be the expert FOX SPORTS commentary team led by one of the game’s best analysts, Wally Masur, who said: “The Australian Open is synonymous with summer and the players love competing in Melbourne. I think that we have some very exciting tennis to look forward to.

“Our home Slam has a knack for producing a surprise result or two and I can’t wait for all the action to get underway on FOX SPORTS”, said Masur.

 Former Wimbledon champion and Australian Open runner-up Pat Cash will make his FOX SPORTS commentary debut where he will be joined by the man most famously remembered as one half of “The Woodies”, Mark Woodforde, who won 12 Grand Slam doubles titles in his career, including two Australian Open titles.

Former players Wayne Arthurs, Nicole Pratt, Louise Pleming, Scott Draper, Peter Tramacchi and Josh Eagle, as well as Ryan Phelan, Adam Peacock, Lee Furlong,  Nick McArdle, Dwayne Russell, Greg Clark and Mark Braybrook will round out FOX SPORTS commentary team.

As the best players in the world battle it out on the court, FOX SPORTS will ensure fans witness all the big moments, complemented by FOX SPORTS NEWS and Australia’s leading general sports website, foxsports.com.au.

FOX SPORTS NEWS reporters Sarah Jones and Chris Stubbs will deliver viewers Melbourne Park’s biggest stories with a number of live crosses each day throughout the tournament, while foxsports.com.au will feature a daily live blog as well as forums and reports involving the FOX SPORTS commentary team. In lead-up to the tournament, the FOX SPORTS website will also be streaming the four days of final Qualifying for the Australian Open from Wednesday, 12 January to Saturday, 14 January.

FOX SPORTS VIEW, FOX SPORTS new iPad application, which is already the top paid sports iPad app, will also feature news highlights throughout the tournament.

FOX SPORTS coverage of the 2011 Australian Open Tennis Championships is available to FOXTEL and AUSTAR subscribers.

Statement from David Leckie, CEO, Seven Media Group

We welcome the Minister’s decision to allow flexibility in our broadcast schedules for The Australian Open.

It is a pragmatic positive for our viewers and the sport and recognises the reach of digital television which is available to over 75% of Australians and increasing.

The past couple of days have provided an indication of how we will approach the issue of managing match coverage and our commitment to Seven News, in particular.

Our switch in scheduling of the tennis to 7TWO to allow Seven News’ continuous coverage of the floods impacting Queensland and northern New South Wales graphically indicates the benefits of the flexibility of the new digital channels in ensuring we meet the demands of all television viewers.

Seven news continues flood coverage tonight until Midnight. The night session of the tennis will be seen on 7TWO.

UPDATED. Networks today again will abandon regular programming to cover the Queensland floods.

Both Seven and Nine are providing continuing coverage.

Nine will be covering the floods all day again. The network has just issued an amendment moving this afternoon’s Women’s Twenty/20 Cricket Match over to GEM (and yes, it will be in HD). The cricket starts at 2.30pm. News on Nine continues all day, until the 6pm bulletin tonight.

Seven will again move tennis coverage to 7TWO while the main channel covers the news of the floods. Seven tonight again have a 9.30pm news special.

Seven’s 6pm news will be 1 hour tonight. Today Tonight at 7pm.

Ten have additional News Bulletins at 12 midday and 3pm in NSW, VIC and SA, 11am and 2pm in QLD, and 12 midday only in WA.

ABC1 has news this morning from 9am until Midday, when it airs the Midday report. ABC1 coverage now goes until 9.30pm. It is the same as that on ABC News 24, for the benefit of those who do not have digital or HD yet.

ABC News 24 continue their non stop coverage as well.

ABC1 and ABC News 24 tonight:

7.00 AEDT National News
8.00 AEDT Queenlsand News, networked nationally
8.30 AEDT News special with Leigh Sales (until 9.30).

All ABC1 and ABC News 24 news programming today is LIVE across the country. No timezone delays*.

Sky News have updated their EPG to reflect the fact that they are covering the floods non-stop.

* QLD 1 hour behind AEDT, SA 30 mins behind, WA 3 hours behind, NT 90 mins behind.

Channel 7 is set to serve up another sizzling summer of tennis from Brisbane, Sydney and then Melbourne, culminating in the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open.

Arguably the greatest rivalry in world sports is set to continue in Melbourne. Many experts predict Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will again face off in the final, with Nadal going for his fourth Grand Slam in a row, the ‘Rafa slam’, and Federer in hot form after his recent ATP World Tour Finals win. But expect Brit Andy Murray going for his first Slam, previous winner Novak Djokovic and World No. 5 Robyn Soderling to be snapping at their heels.

The race for the women’s title has been blown wide open with the absence of five-time winner Serena Williams. Can Kim Clijsters step up and win? Or will local girl Sam Stosur salute in an historic hometown win?

Channel 7 will commence its primetime coverage at 7pm in week one, and 7.30pm in week two. Prime time finals for the men’s and women’s singles attracted an average audience of 2.42million and 1.89million viewers respectively in 2010 eclipsing the previous year.

As well as the Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific, Channel 7 will cover the Australian Open series tournaments including the Brisbane International and Medibank International in Sydney, as well as the AAMI Kooyong Classic in Melbourne.

Seven’s summer of tennis will be headed by JOHANNA GRIGGS, MATT WHITE and HAMISH MCLACHLAN with BRUCE McAVANEY back in the commentary chair and expert commentary from four-time Grand Slam champion JIM COURIER and former British No.1 SAM SMITH.

Joining them in the Channel 7 commentary box will be the most successful doubles player in men’s tennis history TODD WOODBRIDGE, Gael Monfils’ coach ROGER RASHEED, HENRI LECONTE, NICOLE BRADTKE, RENNAE STUBBS, SANDY ROBERTS, JOHN FITZGERALD, ALLAN STONE, PETER DONEGAN and KERRYN PRATT.

Tennis on Seven.

Apart from the Australian Open, Seven also will be showing The Brisbane International, The Medibank International and the Kooyong Classic tennis meets in January.

Here’s the necessary programming information.

Brisbane International.

Day 1 11.30am – 5.00pm Mon Jan 3. News at 11am, 5pm and 6pm*.
Day 2 11.30am – 5.00pm Tue Jan 4. News at 11am, 5pm and 6pm
Day 3 11.30am – 5.00pm Wed Jan 5. News at 11am, 5pm and 6pm
Day 3 10.30pm – 12.30am Wed Jan 5, night session
Day 4 11.30am – 5.00pm Thur Jan 6. News at 11am, 5pm and 6pm
Day 4 10.30pm – 12.30am Thur Jan 6, night session
Day 5 12.00pm – 5.00pm Fri Jan 7. News at 11.30am, 5pm and 6pm.
Day 5 10.30pm – 12.30am Fri Jan 7, night session
Day 6 1.00pm – 5.00pm Sat Jan 8. News at 6pm.
Day 6 9.30pm – 11.30pmm Sat Jan 8, night session. Women’s final.
Day 7 12.00pm – 5.00pm Sun Jan 9. News at 6pm. Men’s final

Medibank International

Day 1 12.00pm – 5.00pm Sun Jan 9. Coverage follows Brisbane International. News at 6pm
Day 2 11.00am – 5.00pm Mon Jan 10. News at 10.30am, 5pm and 6pm.
Day 3 11.00am – 5.00pm Tue Jan 11. News at 10.30am, 5pm and 6pm.
Day 4 11.00am – 5.00pm Wed Jan 12. News at 10.30am, 5pm and 6pm. Also includes Kooyong Classic Coverage
Day 4 10.30pm – 12.30am Wed Jan 12. Night session
Day 5 11.00am – 5.00pm Thur Jan 13. News at 10.30am, 5pm and 6pm. Also includes Kooyong Classic Coverage
Day 5 10.30pm – 12.30am Thur Jan 13. Night session
Day 6 11.00am – 5.00pm Fri Jan 14. News at 10.30am, 5pm and 6pm. Also includes Kooyong Classic Coverage
Day 6 9.30pm – 11.30pm Fri Jan 14. Night session. Women’s finals
Day 7 1.00pm – 5.00pm Sat Jan 15. Coverage after the Kooyong Classic finals. News at 6pm.
Day 7 7.30pm – 9.30pm Sat Jan 15. Men’s finals.

AAMI Kooyong Classic

Day 1 11.00am – 5.00pm Wed Jan 12. Coverage of Medibank International as well. News at 10.30am, 5pm and 6pm
Day 2 11.00am – 5.00pm Thur Jan 13. Coverage of Medibank International as well. News at 10.30am, 5pm and 6pm
Day 3 11.00am – 5.00pm Fri Jan 14. Coverage of Medibank International as well. News at 10.30am, 5pm and 6pm
Day 3 11.30pm – 1.30am Fri Jan 14. Kooyong day 3 only, continuing coverage.
Day 4 1.00pm – 5.00pm Sat Jan 15. Finals. News at 6pm.

2011 Australian Open.

Day 1 11.00am – 6pm Mon Jan 17. News at 10.30am and 6pm.**
Day 1 7.00pm – 12.30am Mon Jan 17.
Day 2 11.00am – 6pm Tue  Jan 18. News at 10.30am and 6pm.
Day 2 7.00pm – 12.30am Tue Jan 18.
Day 3 11.00am – 6pm Wed Jan 19. News at 10.30am and 6pm.
Day 3 7.00pm – 12.30am Wed Jan 19
Day 4 11.00am – 6pm Thur Jan 20. News at 10.30am and 6pm.
Day 4 7.00pm – 12.30am Thur Jan 20.
Day 5 11.00am – 6pm Fri Jan 21. News at 10.30am and 6pm.
Day 5 7.00pm – 12.30am Fri Jan 21.
Day 6 11.00am – 6pm Sat  Jan 22. News at 6pm.
Day 6 6.30pm – 12.30am Sat Jan 22. First half hour is tennis special

Day 7 11.00am – 6pm Sun Jan 23. News at 6pm
Day 7 6.30pm – 12.30am Sun Jan 23.
Day 8 11.00am – 6pm Mon Jan 24. News at 10.30am and 6pm.
Day 8 7.30pm*** – 12.30am Mon Jan 24.
Day 9 11.00am – 6pm Tue  Jan 25. News at 10.30am and 6pm.
Day 9 7.30pm – 12.30am Tue Jan 25.
Day 10 11.00am – 6pm Wed Jan 26. News at 10.30am and 6pm.
Day 10 7.30pm – 12.30am Wed Jan 26
Day 11 11.00am – 6pm Thur Jan 27. News at 10.30am and 6pm.
Day 11 7.30pm – 12.30am Thur Jan 27. Semis
Day 12 3.00pm – 6pm Fri Jan 28. News at 10.30am and 6pm.
Day 12 7.30pm – 9.30pm Fri Jan 28. Men’s Semi #2
Day 13 6.30pm – 10.30pm Sat Jan 29. Women’s final. Preview special from 6.30 – 7.30.
Day 14 4.00pm – 6.00pm Sun Jan 20. Mixed doubles finals.
Day 14 6.30pm – 10.30pm Sun Jan 30. Men’s final. Preview special from 6.30 – 7.30.

*Note: Deal or No Deal repeats remain at 5.30pm weekdays in between the 5pm and 6pm news from Mon Jan 3 until Fri Jan 14.

All times and information based on Sydney market.

** Program now confirmed. All day sessions are live into all markets. Evening sessions are delayed into markets not on AEDT. Womens and Mens Finals on the nights of Jan 29 and Jan 30 will be live in all markets except for WA. Those not on AEDT will see part or none of the preview special from 6.30pm AEDT.

*** Home and Away returns Jan 24, 7pm. This pushes back the start of the weekday night sessions to 7.30pm.