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Recreational competitors are getting the chance to claim one million Australian dollars when they take on tennis' top professionals - including top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown prior to the Australian Grand Slam

Organizers of the Australian Open have unveiled the $1 Million Single-Point Tournament, which will pit 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a single-elimination format at the tournament grounds

How the Tournament Functions

Participants must play 'rock, paper, scissors' to decide who serves or receives, and the competitor securing the point will progress to the subsequent phase

The victor of the event will receive approximately half a million pounds

By comparison, players who made it to the final four of the men's or women's singles in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars

Past Similar Events

The New York major hosted a restructured, separate combined gender tournament in the eighth month which encouraged top singles players to compete, with the winners receiving a million-dollar prize

The year's first major held its first-ever single-point competition earlier this year, but the cash prize was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it generated little publicity

One top competitor was the only top-10 player competing, and his campaign concluded when he sent the single service opportunity granted into the net in his last eight match

Event Details

Organizers have not specified precisely how the event will work, but it is projected to mirror a similar format to this year's edition

The top competitors will be allowed to make one service and the amateurs twice - as is the standard practice in standard play

While it is unclear how the pairings will work, there will be several competitive phases and the venue will be the main stadium rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The final stages will be held in a nighttime schedule instead of midday timing

Competitor Details

Any Australians - or foreign participants who have registered with Tennis Australia - can enter 'quick-match event' tournaments at their community centers

The champions of the local competitions will then go into a random pairing, with a single non-professional from every region and area chosen to compete in the 'championship round' in a night session on mid-January

There will also be a qualifying draw in December which everyday players, lower ranked pros, celebrities and sport stars can enter

It starts on the starting date and the two winners will qualify for the midweek 'final showdown' with the remaining non-professionals and 10 professionals

"Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the overall victor will walk away with the reward. Entries will open soon at venues across the country"

Tournament officials mentioned there were "more big names to be revealed shortly", while the event portal said "well-known figures" would be involved