AUSTRALIAN OPEN GLANCE

A glance at the Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam tourney: SURFACE: Hard courts

SITE: Melbourne Park SCHEDULE: The 14-day tournament begins Monday (Sunday EST). Like the U.S. Open, there are separate day and night sessions. LAST YEAR: Roger Federer beat

2014 U.S. Open champion 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 edged Simona Halep 7-6 (2), 3-6,

6-4 to finally grab her first major championship.

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. KEY STATISTIC: 24 — Margaret Court’s all-time mark for most Grand Slam singles titles, one more than Williams’ haul, which stands as the record for the professional era.

PRIZE MONEY: A tournamentrecord total of 62.5 million Australian dollars (about $45 million), with 4.1 million Australian dollars (about $3 million) each to the men’s and women’s singles champions.