Organisers hope Agassi will be back

Melbourne: The centenary Australian Open will feature the first night men?s final in a Grand Slam event, organisers confirmed at the launch of the 2005 tournament.

The move to play the men?s final at the Australian Open under floodlights next year was aimed at showcasing the tournament to the Asian and European markets, chief executive Paul McNamee said on Tuesday.

The men?s singles final for the January 17-30 tournament will be played from 7.30pm (0830 GMT) ? the first evening/night final in men?s Grand Slam tennis.

?It clearly is good for our European picture in the long run because they can get more viewers,? McNamee said at the tournament launch at Melbourne Park.

?It was strictly done for matching the (7.30pm) semi-finals up with the final and making a bigger deal of the finale of the tournament. ?It?s really been done from a marketing and presentation perspective. If it leads to better revenues down the road that?s fine but that?s not the motive for doing it.?

The Australian Open will carry prize money of A$19.1 million (US$13.8 million), an increase of just A$100,000 on this year?s prize pool. McNamee said sponsorship revenue had dropped and that the global television market had been ?tough?.

As well as Roger Federer and Justine Henin-Hardenne defending their crowns, McNamee said he was confident American Andre Agassi would be in Melbourne for the 93rd staging of the meet, first held in 1905.

?I saw Andre at the US Open and it was also confirmed recently by Steffi that Andre would be coming back and going for his fifth Australian Open title,? he said.