TOURNAMENT INFO

A glance at the Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam tennis tournament:

SURFACE

Hard courts

SITE

Melbourne Park

SCHEDULE

The 14-day tournament begins Monday (Sunday EST). The women’s singles final is Saturday, Jan. 26; the men’s singles final is Sunday, Jan. 27. Like the U.S. Open, there are separate day and night sessions.

LAST YEAR

Roger Federer beat Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 for a second consecutive title in Melbourne and sixth overall. The victory also lifted Federer’s men’s-record Grand Slam trophy haul to 20. Caroline Wozniacki (right) edged Simona Halep 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4 to finally grab her first major championship. Wozniacki had lost in two previous Grand Slam finals, as well as exiting in the semifinals four other times.

SHE’S BACK

Serena Williams returns after missing the Australian Open a year ago; she gave birth to her daughter, Olympia, on Sept. 1, 2017, then dealt with health complications from childbirth and did not return to Grand Slam play until the French Open last May. Also back in Melbourne: Two-time champion and former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, who last entered the Australian Open three years ago.

WHAT’S NEW

For the first time, the Australian Open will have final-set tiebreakers for men’s matches that reach a fifth set and women’s matches that go to a third set. The tournament joins Wimbledon in eliminating the possibility of never-ending final sets; previously the U.S. Open was the only major with a last-set tiebreaker. The tiebreaker in Australia will come at 6-all and will be won by whichever player is the first to 10 points, ahead by at least two. Also changing in Melbourne in 2019: A “heat stress scale” will take into account temperature, radiant heat, humidity and wind speed and could lead to 10-minute suspensions of men’s matches before a fourth set. Women’s matches will continue to have the possibility of a 10-minute break before a third set.