By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE, Jan 18 (Reuters) – Australian Open organizers came under fire on the Grand Slam’s opening day on Sunday as frustrated fans sweated in long queues to the gates of Melbourne Park and complained of confusion over the suspension of ticket sales.
With heightened security at the event in the wake of the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney last month, hundreds of spectators gathered outside the venue in hot weather before tournament officials paused sales of the cheaper “ground pass” tickets within the first hour of play due to intense demand.
Ground passes, which cost A$65 ($43) for adults during day sessions, allow largely unfettered access to the minor courts and are hugely popular at the year’s first Grand Slam.
Tournament director Craig Tiley confirmed in the morning that only the more expensive tickets to the main showcourts were available but fans were oblivious as they queued for extended periods outside the venue.
Josh Main, a visitor from the Netherlands, said the experience was a letdown during a family trip that coincided with the Grand Slam.
“We went to look for tickets but there was a big line, so I thought, are we in the right line?” he told Reuters. “They told us there are no tickets left, so we can’t get in.
“They did say there were tickets left for Rod Laver (Arena) but we’re not going to sit there today and it’s expensive … I think they said it was 300 bucks or something.”
Local fans also voiced disappointment, with Melbourne resident Elton Yu surprised to find ground passes unavailable.
“Never expected to not have any tickets for the ground pass which I always do,” he told Reuters.
Susan Walsh, another Melbourne resident, said she and her group had already purchased arena tickets but hoped to enter earlier.
“We tried to buy a ground pass and they just told us it was only tickets that were $229 per person,” she said. “Didn’t want to spend that much money … So, a bit disappointed.”
Tiley said the sales halt was just for the Sunday day session and that there were ground passes available for the evening.
“We’ve had to pause them because obviously we want people to come on site and have a great time,” he told reporters.
“There’s still the ‘After 5’ (o’clock) ground passes available, which is $49, come on-site for that.”
Governing body Tennis Australia did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.
($1 = 1.4970 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Additional reporting by Cordelia Hsu; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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