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Recreational competitors are getting the chance to win A$1m when they face world-class athletes - headed by leading player the Spanish champion - in a single-point showdown leading up to January's Australian Open

Tournament officials of the Melbourne major have unveiled the Seven-Figure Quick-Fire Competition, which will match 10 amateur players against top-ranked players in a single-elimination format at the Australian Open venue

The Unique Competition Operates

Competitors are set to play 'the decision-making game' to establish who serves or receives, and the player who wins the point will progress to the subsequent phase

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

By comparison, players who reached the semi-finals of the main draw competitions in the previous year's tournament won over a million Australian dollars

Past Comparable Tournaments

The American Grand Slam organized a revamped, separate combined gender tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to compete, with the winners receiving $1m

The year's first major held its first-ever single-point competition this year, but the prize fund was sixty thousand Australian dollars and it had limited exposure

Andrey Rublev was the single high-ranked athlete involved, and his progress finished when he directed the sole serving chance allowed into the net in his penultimate round

Event Specifics

Organizers have not detailed exactly how the event will operate, but it is projected to follow a akin setup to this year's edition

The top competitors will be granted to make one service and the everyday players two times - as is the standard practice in traditional tennis

While it is not certain how the draw will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the site will be the primary court rather than the smaller Kia Arena

The final stages will be held in a evening slot instead of midday timing

Competitor Information

Local players - or international players who have enrolled with Tennis Australia - can participate in 'One Point Slam' tournaments at their neighborhood facilities

The winners of the grassroots tournaments will then go into a selection process, with an everyday competitor from every geographic division chosen to take part in the 'championship round' in a nighttime event on Wednesday, 14 January

There will also be a preliminary competition in the final month which non-professionals, developing professionals, famous personalities and sports personalities can enter

It starts on early January and the successful competitors will qualify for Wednesday's 'championship match' with the remaining non-professionals and elite competitors

"Regardless of your skill level, the final champion will receive the reward. Applications will begin shortly at venues across the country"

Tournament officials mentioned there were "more big names to be unveiled imminently", while the tournament site said "famous personalities" would be taking part