Summer tennis action has hit Australia this week with the start of the the 2009 Australian Open in Melbourne. The tournament is held in Melbourne Park, a ten-minute walk from the center of the city, or a five-minute trip on the tram.

Whether, like us, you still have a weird thing for #2 seed Roger Federer, or if Serbian beauty Jelena Jankovic gets your racket swinging, apparently there are still tickets available even for the second week of the tournament, starting at A$70 ($50) for early rounds and rising as the matches go on.

As for who's going to be holding the trophies come February 1, well, we can't really go past a Williams sister for the women's, although we're not willing to decide on Venus or Serena. On the men's court, we're hoping for Federer but have a suspicion it might be Novak Djokovic this time round. But don't place bets based on our intuition.

Related Stories:
· Australian Open [Official Site]
· See McEnroe in the Dressing Room [Jaunted]
· Melbourne Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: MD111] ]]> amandak 2009-01-21T13:10:52-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/8/85937/97356

Is it just us, or has the US Open gotten a hell of a lot trendier in recent years?

In the past, courtside interviews were limited to country club celebs like Regis Philbin and Donald Trump. But this year, the stands have been full every day with A-listers like Natalie Portman, Will Ferrell and Common. Queens has never had it so good.

For further celeb-spotting, the US Open website has a day-by-day gallery of famous faces who have attended matches this year. As for tennis, the tournament wraps up this afternoon, with the Tropical Storm Hannah-delayed men's final between Roger Federer and Andy Murray.

Related Stories:
· US Open Photo Gallery [Official Site]
· Where is the US Open? [Jaunted]
· Back of the Envelope Eating Guide: Where to Grub at the US Open [Jaunted]

[Photo: US Open]]]> BS 2008-09-08T10:15:24-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/25/17325/9470

The US Open started today, and right this second, Rafael Nadal is beating Bjorn Phau in a first round matchup. Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva has already advanced to the second round. (Roger Federer plays tomorrow.)

We've already told you where to eat at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, but we were a little short on the other details. Plot a route on our map between the courts and nearby transportation options. Just don't, for the love of God, try to drive.

Related Stories:
· Visiting the Open [Official Site]
· Public Transportation Options from NYC's MTA [Official Site]
· Olympic Champ Dementieva Opens with Win [AP, via Google]
· Watch the Open Without Leaving Manhattan [Gothamist]
· Back of the Envelope Eating Guide: Where to Grub at the US Open [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-08-25T17:32:31-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/22/1679/75199

Balearic babe Rafael Nadal was recently named the top tennis player in the world, but he may have to fight off the former number one, Roger Federer, at the US Open, which starts Monday. Don King--who is apparently still relevant!--is even promoting the potential final as the "Grapple in the Apple."

And while we're certainly interested in the tennis--especially after watching James Blake thump Federer in Beijing--there's plenty more happening out at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, including the all important question of where we'll grab a bite.

Luckily, Terminal 5 isn't the only spot in Queens with a bunch of intriguing dining options...]]> pbb 2008-08-22T16:15:15-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/