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Amateur players are being offered the possibility to claim one million Australian dollars when they face elite players - featuring leading player the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle leading up to the Australian Grand Slam

Tournament officials of the Australian Open have unveiled the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will match 10 amateur players against 22 professionals in a knockout tournament at Melbourne Park

The Unique Event Will Work

Participants must play 'the classic hand game' to establish who serves or receives, and the competitor securing the point will progress to the next round

The winner of the event will earn a significant cash prize

By comparison, players who reached the penultimate round of the main draw competitions in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars

Previous Similar Events

The US Open organized a revamped, independent combined gender tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to compete, with the champions receiving a million-dollar prize

The Melbourne tournament held its first-ever single-point competition this year, but the prize fund was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it received minimal attention

Andrey Rublev was the single high-ranked athlete competing, and his progress finished when he put the sole serving chance permitted into the mesh in his penultimate round

Tournament Information

Planners have not said exactly how the event will work, but it is anticipated to follow a comparable structure to the most recent iteration

The top competitors will be allowed to make one service and the non-professionals two times - as is the usual procedure in traditional tennis

While it is uncertain how the pairings will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the venue will be the primary court rather than the alternative court

The last matches will occur in a night session instead of early afternoon

Competitor Information

Local players - or international players who have signed up with the governing body - can enter 'single-point competition' events at their community centers

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a draw, with one amateur player from every geographic division chosen to compete in the 'final competition' in a night session on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a entry tournament in late year which everyday players, developing professionals, famous personalities and sport stars can enter

It starts on the starting date and the pair of champions will qualify for the midweek 'championship match' with the additional everyday players and elite competitors

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will claim the prize. Applications will open soon at facilities throughout the nation"

Event organizers stated there were "more big names to be unveiled imminently", while the official website indicated "celebrities" would be involved