Apia International Sydney: A ProfileJanuary 14, 2015

The Wimbledon Championships is the oldest tennis tournament. The first year (of the tourney) took place at the All England Club in 1877, making it the most prestigious event in professional tennis. The United States Open is not far behind, making its debut in Forest Hills, New York in 1881. Then there's the Sydney International.

The Sydney International didn't gain a lot of media mileage until its relocation to the NSW Tennis Centre. It was known as the Championship of New South Wales and then the New South Wales Open. White City was its former venue, where the matches were played in grass. William J. Bush Salmon was the first winner of the tournament, which happened in 1885. This would make the tournament a few years older than the French Open.

The greatest home players have won this tournament. More than once. Rod Laver. Tony Roche. Ashley Cooper. But their victories in White City was a mere footnote, as the tournament wasn't as prestigious as the Grand Slam events (or the Davis Cup). But things changed in 2000.

Remembering the XXVII Olympiad

In September 24, 1993, Sydney won the right to host the 2000 Summer Olympics. It was a significant moment, as the capital of New South Wales would be hosting the Millennium Games. It was also the second time that this quadrennial sporting event would be held in the Southern Hemisphere.

Tennis was already a medal sports, and the Sydney Olympic Tennis Park Centre would be the venue. It wasn't a summer to remember for the home team. Patrick Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt were favoured to make it to the podium in the men's singles, but they lost in the early round. Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge were the defending championship in the men's doubles, but they lost the gold-medal match to Daniel Nestor and Sebastien Lareau of Canada. In the women's singles, Jelena DokiÄ‡ went the distance. But she lost to Monica Seles in the bronze-medal match.

Unlike the other Olympic venues, the Sydney Olympic Tennis Park Centre wasn't neglected and forgotten. It became the new venue of the Sydney International. Hewitt won the men's singles title in four occasion, while Roger Federer was victorious in 2002. It happened the year before he won his first Wimbledon title. Elena Dementieva, Kim Clijsters, and Justine Henin were winners in the women's singles.

This year's Sydney International didn't attract the big names in tennis, as they chose to practice in Melbourne Park. Juan Martin del Potro, the defending champion, made his long-awaited return. He won his opening match, his first after undergoing surgery on his left wrist.

"I think I played well in my first match (against Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovksy) after 10 months. I served well. My forehand is still working out. So that's a good signal for the future. I need to work very hard to my backhands and my movements, but I think now is time to think about my comeback and enjoy this moment a lot,” he said.

On the women's side, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová became the overwhelming favourite after Agniezska Radwanska, winner of the Hopman Cup last weekend, lost her opening match against Garbine Muguruza, winner of last year's Hobart International. Simona Halep, the 2014 French Open finalist, pulled out of the tournament due to gastroenteritis.

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