— MELBOURNEThe organisers of one of the calendar's largest tennis tournaments confirmed on Friday that a second show court will have a permanent retractable roof in place before next year's edition, ending a long-running debate that had grown more pointed during this week's stretch of disruptive storms.
The decision, which had been mooted for several years and was widely expected, will increase the tournament's total covered seating capacity by nearly fifteen thousand. Officials said the project would be funded jointly by the national tennis federation and a long-term commercial partner, with construction scheduled to begin within the month.
Coverage of all three principal show courts will, the organisers argued, become an increasingly important asset as the tournament adapts to a climate in which heat extremes, sudden squalls and prolonged disruptions to outdoor play are no longer the exception. The men's singles final this year was completed with the roof closed for the first time in nearly a decade.
