Attending the Australian Open 2022 finals was a dream come true for the fortunate Australian Tennis Basis lottery winners.
Melbourne, Australia, 10 March 2022 | tennis.com.au
Promised a ‘as soon as in a lifetime’ expertise at Australian Open 2022, the inaugural Australian Tennis Basis lottery winners have been thrilled to observe historical past unfold throughout a memorable finals weekend.
The ATF lottery winners every obtained return airfares, lodging, in addition to Australian Open 2022 finals tickets with complimentary hospitality expertise. They have been additionally handled to an unique behind-the-scenes tour at Melbourne Park and invited to attend the champion’s picture shoot.
> READ: Australian Tennis Basis Lottery winners introduced
Avid tennis fan Cath Kent, who grew up on a distant property in western Queensland, was overjoyed to win a girls’s finals prize bundle.
“My complete household performs tennis and we used to journey lots of of kilometres for tournaments on a regular basis,” she associated. “Whenever you’re from a distant place, it’s fabulous. The teamwork, the friendships for all times. Tennis is a part of our blood.”
It was a primary Australian Open expertise for each Kent and companion Dion Kidner, who stay in Atherton in Far North Queensland.
The evening earlier than the lottery draw, the couple had added a visit to Melbourne to attend the Australian Open onto their bucket record.
Witnessing Ash Barty create historical past and develop into the primary native singles champion in 44 years made the prize much more particular.
“It was simply surreal,” Kent stated. “We’d been watching Barty truck her method by and everybody in Atherton was completely chanting for her to win by to the finals.”
Kidner rated attending Barty’s remaining showdown with American Danielle Collins as the perfect sporting expertise of his life.
“Compared to different sporting occasions that I’ve been to, together with NRL grand finals, this one tops all of them,” he stated.
“The group constructing behind the massive factors, the anticipation of what you’re about to see as a lot as what you’ve got seen, was wonderful. It’s an expertise that anybody would love, whether or not they love tennis or not.”
Ginny Swinnerton and Peter Fitzgerald received a males’s remaining expertise, buying and selling within the return airfares for VIP Australian Open transport from their Melbourne dwelling.
“From the minute we have been collected from dwelling in an expensive Kia Sportif, to the nice and cozy greeting with an AO folder stuffed with lanyards and Mastercard vouchers on the Westin, our attractive suite with AO backpacks stuffed with spectacular goodies, then fabulous breakfasts, we have been pampered continuous,” associated Swinnerton.
“With the glamorous chauffeuring to and from the Australian Open, an insightful tour to all these locations we might by no means have dreamed to go to and knowledgeable photographer snapping his digital camera as we walked down the Stroll of Champions and into the press convention theatre, who wouldn’t be dumbstruck?”
Swinnerton and Fitzgerald have been additionally “overwhelmed with pleasure” after witnessing Rafael Nadal develop into the primary man in historical past to win 21 Grand Slam singles titles.
“Many pals are eager to take part (within the lottery) subsequent yr, envious of our magical expertise,” stated Swinnerton.
Extra ‘money-can’t-buy’ experiences might be on supply within the Australian Tennis Basis Lottery at Australian Open 2023, with tickets set to go on sale earlier than Christmas this yr.
> Hold updated with the Australian Tennis Basis
