Spectators to return for Australian Open finals

Spectators will return to the Australian Open by Thursday, with a five-day COVID-19 lockdown in the State of Victoria to be lifted.

Spectator-capacity for Rod Laver Arena, where the finals matches will be played, was capped at 50 percent or roughly 7,477 people per session.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the statewide restrictions would lift from midnight on Wednesday, with just six locally-acquired cases recorded over the lockdown period.

“We look forward to welcoming fans back to the Australian Open for the next four days and to finishing the event safely and on a high,” Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said.

Masks will remain mandatory in the stands, as well as outdoor areas where social distancing is not possible.

Throughout the first week of the tournament, fans were allowed into the precinct and stadiums at close to normal numbers, giving players the experience of performing in front of crowds.

That was a rare experience since the pandemic began.

“Last week we had our first real experience of live sport with fans in the stands and the atmosphere was electric,” Tiley said.

“The players appreciated the opportunity to compete in front of crowds for the first time in almost a year, and many spoke about how emotional it was to connect with fans again.”

“We are all looking forward to an incredible four days of tennis and can’t wait to see everyone back at the AO.”

The price for an adult ticket to the men’s final on Sunday started at 350 Australian dollars (271.26 U.S. dollars) and went up to 990 Australian dollars (767.28 U.S. dollars).