 Belgium's Kim Clijsters and Australia's Samantha Stosur do a "chest bump" as they celebrate a point win during a charity tennis event, "Rally for Relief" on Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. AP photo |
Andy Roddick was cracking crude jokes. Kim Clijsters stunned the crowd by trying a running chest-bump with Sam Stosur. Rafa and Roger took time out from their rivalry to exchange high-fives and play on the same side of the net. The sold-out fundraiser for Australia's flood victims - dubbed the "Rally for Relief" - came on the eve of the Australian Open and raised $1.8 million within hours on Sunday, an amount that organizers said was expected to grow.
In Melbourne, which has escaped the floods, it was blue skies and laughter on center court. Some of the players wore microphones, poking fun at each other and mixing entertainment with pledges of support for the devastation that has been described as one of Australia's worst natural disasters.
"We've all been very shocked and surprised by a lot of the images," No. 3-seeded Clijsters, a three-time U.S. Open champion, told the Rod Laver Arena, packed with 15,000 fans. "If we can help in any small way, I think it's our obligation to be out on that court ... and influence people to donate more money and help the others who aren't as lucky."
"It's just nice to help because, I think at the end of the day, it's a dream come true for us to be tennis players," Federer told the crowd. "That's what it's all about, to give a little bit of our time for people who need it much more than we do."
Last year, Federer organized a similar charity event with Nadal and other stars for victims of the Haiti earthquake.
Nadal added: "I think it's really nice that the tennis family are together to support these difficult times."
Seats cost about $20 - a fraction of the normal price for a Grand Slam match - and tickets sold out almost immediately. The event itself raised $1.8 million through ticket sales and donations. Players competing Sunday also planned to donate the shirts they wore in the exhibition in a "Shirts off their Backs" auction expected to raise thousands more for the flood appeal.
In Melbourne, which has escaped the floods, it was blue skies and laughter on center court. Some of the players wore microphones, poking fun at each other and mixing entertainment with pledges of support for the devastation that has been described as one of Australia's worst natural disasters.
"We've all been very shocked and surprised by a lot of the images," No. 3-seeded Clijsters, a three-time U.S. Open champion, told the Rod Laver Arena, packed with 15,000 fans. "If we can help in any small way, I think it's our obligation to be out on that court ... and influence people to donate more money and help the others who aren't as lucky."
"It's just nice to help because, I think at the end of the day, it's a dream come true for us to be tennis players," Federer told the crowd. "That's what it's all about, to give a little bit of our time for people who need it much more than we do."
Last year, Federer organized a similar charity event with Nadal and other stars for victims of the Haiti earthquake.
Nadal added: "I think it's really nice that the tennis family are together to support these difficult times."
Seats cost about $20 - a fraction of the normal price for a Grand Slam match - and tickets sold out almost immediately. The event itself raised $1.8 million through ticket sales and donations. Players competing Sunday also planned to donate the shirts they wore in the exhibition in a "Shirts off their Backs" auction expected to raise thousands more for the flood appeal.
No comments:
Post a Comment