Apia International Sydney 2013

Overview

Everything about the Apia International Sydney looks slick and focused and white-knuckle competitive. And parts of it are — the parts on the court. But what the ads don't tell you is that the tennis is a damn fine day out for those of us off it.

What goes down on the court is a world away from that tiny table-tennis match you see on TV. As David Foster Wallace wrote in his New York Times essay 'Federer as Religious Experience', "A large part of what's lost is the sheer physicality of top tennis, a sense of the speeds at which the ball is moving and the players are reacting." From even the back rows of the stadium, but especially courtside, you can see the true speed of that scary-fast ball and appreciate the real technique, tenacity, and grace of the players as they stretch out to meet it. The modern tennis game is breakneck.

But that's, as mentioned, on the court. If you're more aesthete than athlete, it's the perfect opportunity to wear white cotton and plimsolls, grab some strawberries and cream from the stand, and imagine you're part of Rene Lacoste's personal entourage at Wimbledons past. The tennis is like a picnic, with entertainment included. Silence is a must while each point is being played, so there's rarely such a thing as tennis hooligans to cramp your style.

A single session ticket lets you spend either a day or a night at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre, wandering between the Ken Rosewall Arena court with its star players, the outer courts with their more intimate set-ups, and the activity marquees around the grounds. Or, if you take the casual premium hospitality option, a fully stocked esky means you never have to leave your seat at all.

Confirmed for the 2013 tournament are high-ranking athletes Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, "our" Sam Stosur, Li Na, Caroline Wozniacki, Fernando Verdasco, and Bernard Tomic. It's their last stop before the Australian Open in late January, so they'll really want to go out of this one on a high.

Image: Victoria Azarenka at the Apia International Sydney, Thursday January 12, 2012. Photo by Murray Wilkinson (SMP Images).