Police reveal security plans for Australian Open

Spectators who behave abusively or are drunk and disorderly at this year's Australian Open face eviction and on-the-spot fines of more than $700.

About 650,000 tennis fans are expected to flood the sporting precinct for the two-week spectacle.

Revealing security plans for the event, Victorian Police Superintendent Peter O'Neill said the Australian Open was a world-class event and police planned to keep it that way.

Superintendent O'Neill stated "we want fans to have a good time and enjoy the tennis.

"We've been generally pleased with behaviour during the last few tournaments and expect crowds to continue the tradition this year. We won't tolerate any nonsense."

Transit police will patrol Birrarung Marr and Federation Square, railway stations and tram stops.

The cost of the Ground Pass for the Australian Open has risen for the first time since 2007.

At a new price of $34, patrons can enjoy world-class tennis on the outdoor and show courts, gather in Garden Square to watch the Rod Laver Arena action on the big screen, or relax and enjoy the festival atmosphere and great entertainment of Grand Slam® Oval.

Explaining the pricing, Tennis Australia Chief Executive Steve Wood stated "we've conducted our annual review process on all our pricing and session attendances and believe we've come up with a formula that continues to offer excellent value to our fans at all levels.

"The Australian Open is the biggest sporting event in the world in January and we continually focus on new ways to improve the experience for our fans. The demand for ground passes this year was unprecedented, with the middle Saturday very close to an official sell-out.

"We've managed to maintain the Ground Pass price for six years, a pretty extraordinary effort considering how much more entertainment is on offer and the increased costs of staging this world-class event.

The AO ground pass is widely acknowledged as one of the best value sporting and entertainment tickets in Australia.

"The financial return from the AO is invested back into tennis in Australia, funding the growth of the sport in everything from rebuilding and refurbishing courts and clubs across the nation, getting kids to play through MLC Tennis Hot Shots or paving the way for our elite athletes."

30th January 2012 - RECORD CROWDS ATTEND AUSTRALIAN OPEN

21st January 2010 - BRUMBY SLAMS ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ OPEN HOOLIGANISM