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TA announces pre-Australian Open exhibition event for bushfire relief
Written by Sports Desk. Posted in Australian Open. | 03 January 2020 | 571 Views
Tags: Tennis, Nick Kyrgios

A tennis exhibition event will be held in Melbourne on January 15 in a bid to raise funds for bushfire relief efforts.

Bushfires are raging across Australia, with New South Wales and Victoria among the states affected.

Nick Kyrgios, who has already said he will donate 200 Australian dollars for every ace he hits during the summer, has vowed to take part.

Tennis Australia (TA) said participating players for the AO Rally for Relief, to be played at Rod Laver Arena in the lead up to the Australian Open, would be revealed in the coming days.

"It is heartbreaking to see the devastation the bushfires are wreaking across the country and to see so many people and communities suffering," TA chief executive and Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said.

"The Aces for Bushfire Relief initiative gives the tennis community the opportunity to galvanise our sport to support and raise much-needed funds to help those who are most in need.

"We are working closely with the top players and have already had a great response, with many of them keen to help this incredibly important cause.

"We look forward to providing an evening of great tennis and entertainment to raise as much money as we can for bushfire relief."

Kyrgios wrote on Twitter: "Proud of @TennisAustralia @AustralianOpen commitment to helping those affected by the fires. I will be there Wednesday no question.

"Come out, show some support anyway you can, please."

TA has already committed a donation of 100 Australian dollars for every ace served at the ATP Cup and will grant one million Australian dollars to assist communities in repairing and rebuilding tennis facilities damaged in the bushfires.