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Recreational competitors are getting the chance to win one million Australian dollars when they take on elite players - featuring top-ranked the Spanish champion - in a one-point battle before the year's first major

Organizers of the Australian Open have announced the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will pair everyday competitors against top-ranked players in a knockout tournament at the tournament grounds

This Innovative Competition Operates

Competitors are set to play 'rock, paper, scissors' to decide who serves or receives, and the player who wins the point will advance to the following stage

The victor of the event will receive approximately half a million pounds

Contextually, players who advanced to the final four of the main draw competitions in the last edition won substantial prize money

Earlier Comparable Tournaments

The New York major staged a revamped, separate mixed doubles tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to take part, with the victors receiving a million-dollar prize

The year's first major held its inaugural single-point competition this year, but the total purse was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it generated little publicity

The Russian player was the sole elite competitor involved, and his run finished when he sent the sole serving chance granted into the net in his penultimate round

Event Specifics

Planners have not said exactly how the event will operate, but it is expected to mirror a akin setup to this year's edition

The top competitors will be allowed to serve once and the everyday players twice - as is the norm in standard play

While it is not certain how the bracket will work, there will be multiple elimination stages and the venue will be the main stadium rather than the alternative court

The final stages will occur in a evening slot instead of 1pm local time

Competitor Requirements

Domestic competitors - or overseas competitors who have signed up with Tennis Australia - can compete in 'single-point competition' events at their local tennis clubs

The champions of the community events will then go into a draw, with an everyday competitor from every state and territory selected to participate in the 'championship round' in a nighttime event on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a qualifying draw in December which amateurs, developing professionals, well-known figures and athletic celebrities can enter

It starts on Monday, 12 January and the successful competitors will qualify for the midweek 'final showdown' with the other eight amateurs and top-ranked athletes

"No matter your experience, the final champion will receive the reward. Applications will start imminently at facilities throughout the nation"

Competition planners mentioned there were "more big names to be announced soon", while the event portal said "famous personalities" would be involved