Prize pool increased for Australian Open

The 2012 Australian Open will offer a prize pot of nearly $25 million, making it the richest event in tennis Grand Slam history. Tournament officials Tuesday said the singles champions will each collect about $2.2 million, up from the $2.1 million picked up by Novak Djokovic and Kim Clijsters for their 2011 Australian Open titles. Organizers also added a women's legends section to the 2012 tournament. The Hawk-Eye line-calling system has been installed on Margaret Court Arena, the third court at Melbourne Park. It was already in use at Rod Laver Arena and Hisense Arena. "Our mission is to continually improve the Australian Open experience for both the players and fans and the 2012 event is ready to deliver on every level," Tennis Australia Chief Executive Officer Steve Wood said. The 2012 Australian Open, the first major tournament in the tennis calendar, is scheduled for Jan. 16-29.